British grandma on death row for 12 years speaks out for first time after being released
The British grandmother who spent 12 years on death row in Indonesia has spoken out for the first time after it was confirmed that she would be released.
Lindsay Sandiford, 69, was first arrested in the Asian country back in 2012 after police discovered her with around 11lb of cocaine in the lining of her suitcase, with the drugs thought to have been worth around £1.6 million.
Despite claims from the Redcar resident that she had been coerced into the crime after a local gang allegedly threatened to kill her son, she was placed on death row inside Kerobokan Prison in Bali in 2013, where she has been living with the threat of a firing squad execution over her for well over a decade now.
However, there has since been a huge twist in Sandiford's case as the UK and Indonesian governments agreed on a repatriation deal.
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She is being returned to the UK alongside 35-year-old British citizen Shahab Shahabadi, although both are said to be struggling with their health.
President Prabowo Subianto’s administration played a key part in their release, as he seemingly looks to loosen some of Indonesia's incredibly strict laws regarding drugs.
Speaking via a pastor who has supported her case over the years, Sandiford spoke out about getting a 'second chance' at life thanks to the work that was put in to get her home.
Rev. Christie Buckingham, an Australian pastor living in Indonesia, told Metro: "We are deeply grateful for the courageous compassion shown by President Prabowo Subianto and the Indonesian government in their commitment to repatriate Lindsay Sandiford on humanitarian grounds. After 13 years, she is keen to be back home with her family.
"She will forever be grateful for this second chance."
It's a remarkable turnaround for the mum-of-two, as she had spoken regularly over the years about accepting her fate, even urging the local government to get on with it rather than dragging things out.
Back in 2015, Sandiford wrote: "My execution is imminent, and I know I might die at any time now. I could be taken tomorrow from my cell."
Heather Mack, a former inmate who got to know Sandiford behind bars, suggested that she was 'ready to die' and that she'd even prefer the firing squad to dying from illness such as cancer.
However, Yusril Ihza Mahendra, a senior Indonesian minister for legal affairs, has also warned that the grandmother is struggling with her health after spending so long in prison.
He said: "Lindsay is old and sick. In prison she had good behaviour so that was enough reason to satisfy the request from the United Kingdom government that she be returned home and complete her sentence there."
A Foreign Office spokesperson said: "We are supporting two British Nationals detained in Indonesia and are in close contact with the Indonesian authorities to discuss their return to the UK."
James Moorhouse