Lindsay Sandiford Loses Bali Death Sentence Appeal For Drug Trafficking

Lindsay Sandiford Loses Bali Death Sentence Appeal
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British grandmother Lindsay Sandiford has lost her appeal against her death sentence in Bali for drug trafficking, a Bali High Court spokesman told the BBC.

The 56-year-old from Teeside, was arrested on £1.7m drugs charges in Bali.

Prosecution lawyers asked for her to serve a 15-year sentence, but a panel of judges, headed by Amser Simanjuntak, concluded that Sandiford had damaged the image of Bali as a tourism destination and weakened the government's programme of drug annihilation.

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Lindsay June Sandiford of Britain fans herself as she arrives at the courthouse for a hearing in Denpasar, Bali island, Indonesia

She was sentenced to death in January.

Having exhausted her family’s finances to pay for a trial lawyer, Sandiford had no money to pay for an appeal, and the expenses of an appeal trial lawyer were raised via a Just Giving page from the British public.

Sandiford could now submit a final appeal to the Supreme Court, but after that, only the president can grant his clemency. It is a process which could take years.

Indonesia has not executed anyone since 2008 but has announced plans to resume executions this year.

There are approximately 100 people on death row in the country, of whom 41 are foreign nationals, most of whom have been convicted of drug crimes, according to a March 2012 report by Australia's Lowy Institute for International Policy.

Five foreigners have been executed since 1998, all for drug crimes, according to the institute.

The penalty is only given for murder, terrorism and drug trafficking.

Indonesia executes its prisoners by firing squad, with the condemned taken to a field and order to stand in front of 12 gunman, who each take a shot with a rifle.