Bali Nine Reunited with Family Just in Time for Christmas
Five members of the Bali Nine are finally home for Christmas after two decades in prison, reuniting with their families this holiday season
Bali, Indonesia, Bali Nine, Christmas, Prison, Heroin Trafficking
Bali: Five members of the Bali Nine are finally out of prison and back with their families for Christmas. Can you believe it’s been 20 years?
Matthew Norman, Scott Rush, Martin Stephens, Si Yi Chen, and Michael Czugaj are all in their late 30s or 40s now. They spent two decades in Kerobokan Prison after being caught trying to smuggle heroin.
After a short stay at a federal facility in Darwin, they returned home on Thursday. It’s a big step for them as they start to reintegrate into life in Australia.
This marks the end of a long saga that changed their lives and put a strain on Australia’s relationship with Indonesia. Remember, Indonesia has some of the toughest drug laws around.
Things got really serious when Bali Nine leaders Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran were executed in 2015. That caused quite a diplomatic stir.
Renae Lawrence got out in 2018, and sadly, Tan Duc Than Nguyen passed away from cancer that same year.
There were many failed attempts to get the rest of the Bali Nine released, but with President Prabowo Subianto taking office in October, hope was renewed.
Finally, earlier this month, the Australian government made a deal with Indonesia. Yusril Ihza Mahendra, Indonesia’s senior minister for legal affairs, said it was a “reciprocal” agreement.
Australian officials have denied any quid pro quo, meaning they won’t be forced to release Indonesian prisoners in Australia in return.
Even though the five men are back home, they haven’t been pardoned and can’t ever return to Indonesia.