Freed British Drug Mule Gran Faces Imprisonment in UK
The Foreign Office has not disclosed what will happen to Sandiford upon her return to the UK tomorrow. However, an Indonesian official stated,
“In England, she will remain in prison.”
Return After More Than a Decade on Death Row
Drugs mule gran Lindsay Sandiford will arrive on British soil after spending over 13 years on death row in Bali. The 69-year-old was seen in a wheelchair as she experienced freedom for the first time in over a decade after leaving Bali's notorious Kerobokan jail.
Wearing a mask and shielding her face from the cameras, she was taken to Denpasar International Airport and boarded a Qatar Airways flight. The UK-funded £600 plane ticket secured her release after Keir Starmer struck a bilateral agreement with the Indonesian authorities.
Health Concerns and Legal Background
Sandiford is reportedly in very poor health as she embarks on the 20-hour journey to the UK.
This marks the conclusion of a difficult ordeal for the legal secretary, who was sentenced to death for smuggling £1.6 million worth of cocaine into Indonesia.
Uncertainty About Britain's Next Steps
The Foreign Office has chosen not to confirm whether Sandiford will be freed or detained upon her return.
Indonesia's Deputy Minister for Immigration and Correctional Coordination, I Nyoman Gede Surya Mataram, clarified,
“In England, she will remain in prison.”
Sandiford left Kerobokan jail shortly after 2pm GMT.
Summary: Sandiford, after over a decade on death row in Bali, returns to the UK under uncertain conditions, facing possible imprisonment despite her release abroad.