fter spending years behind bars, Renae Lawrence, an Australian woman and member of the Bali Nine drug trafficking syndicate, could be free soon, a Bangli prison official said.
“She [Lawrence] could be free by May next year,” Bangli prison warden Diding Alpian confirmed on Monday.
The drug convict received a two-month Christmas remission.
“For her crime, the court not only imposed Lawrence with a prison sentence but also ordered her to pay Rp 1 billion (US$73,000) in fines. “If she cannot pay the fine, she must serve an additional six months in prison; so, she may be freed in November next year,” said Diding.
Lawrence was among four prisoners at Bangli prison granted Christmas remission this year. “We gave remission to prisoners who have been well behaved,” said Diding.
Lawrence was among nine Australians arrested for attempting to smuggle 8.3 kilograms of heroin out of Indonesia in April 2005.
She was the only woman in the group and received the lightest sentence.
Two syndicate members, Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan, were sentenced to death and executed on Nusakambangan prison island.
Meanwhile, other members are serving life sentences in separate prisons in Bali and East Java. (ebf)
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