A British woman sentenced to death in Indonesia for drug smuggling is set to be repatriated to the United Kingdom after more than a decade on death row. Lindsay Sandiford, 68, has been held at Kerobokan Prison in Bali since 2012, when authorities discovered 3.8 kilograms of cocaine in her luggage upon arrival from Bangkok.
From holidaymaker to convict
Sandiford’s case drew widespread attention in 2012 when she was arrested at Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport. Prosecutors said she was part of an international drug trafficking network, although Sandiford maintained that she was coerced into acting as a courier under threats to her family. Despite her cooperation with police investigations and testimony against other suspects, she was sentenced to death by firing squad the following year.
At the time, her execution order sparked outrage in Britain, with the UK government formally opposing capital punishment and several MPs urging diplomatic intervention. Human rights groups, including Reprieve and Amnesty International, repeatedly appealed for clemency, describing her punishment as disproportionate and inhumane.
A decade of isolation
Sandiford has spent more than 13 years in prison, largely in isolation from family and friends. Reports from her legal team indicate that she has suffered from deteriorating health, both physical and mental, while awaiting confirmation of her execution date, which was never set.
According to Indonesian and British officials, a new humanitarian arrangement has now been reached that allows her transfer to the UK on compassionate grounds. The agreement reportedly followed months of negotiations between the two governments and takes into account her age, medical condition, and length of confinement.
Diplomatic and legal significance
While Indonesia has one of the world’s toughest drug laws, including capital punishment for trafficking, such repatriations are rare. Observers note that Sandiford’s case could open the door for further dialogue on the treatment of foreign nationals sentenced to death abroad.
A spokesperson for the UK Foreign Office said it “welcomes the decision and continues to oppose the death penalty in all circumstances and in every country.” Indonesian authorities, meanwhile, stressed that the decision did not signal any change in national law but reflected “humanitarian considerations in exceptional circumstances.”
End of a long ordeal
Sandiford’s expected return marks the conclusion of one of the most high-profile legal sagas involving a British national in Southeast Asia. For years, she symbolised both the perils of international drug trafficking and the moral debate surrounding capital punishment.
She is now expected to be returned to the UK within weeks, where she will continue to serve a life sentence under British jurisdiction.
Newshub Editorial in Asia – 22 October 2025
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