British Grandmother Repatriated After 12 Years on Death Row in Indonesia

Tue Dec 02 2025 22:15:33 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Lindsay Sandiford, a British grandmother who spent over a decade on death row in Indonesia for drug trafficking, has been repatriated back to the UK following a humanitarian agreement between both governments.

Lindsay Sandiford, 69, was sentenced to death in Indonesia after being convicted of carrying nearly 5 kg of cocaine. She was recently repatriated along with another British national due to health concerns. The decision was made under humanitarian grounds as part of an agreement between the UK and Indonesian governments.

A British grandmother who spent 12 years on death row in Indonesia after being convicted of drug trafficking flew home on Friday, as part of a deal between the UK and Indonesian governments.

Lindsay Sandiford, 69, was sentenced to death on the island of Bali in 2013 after she was found with nearly 5 kg of cocaine worth £1.6m ($2.1m) when she arrived on a flight from Thailand in 2012.

Indonesia has some of the world's most stringent drug laws but has freed several high-profile detainees, including the infamous 'Bali Nine' drug ring, in the past year.

Sandiford was repatriated along with another British national, Shahab Shahabadi, who had been serving a life sentence for drug smuggling.

Their flight left Bali around 00:30 local time (16:30 GMT Thursday), Indonesian officials reported.

Both Sandiford and Shahabadi had been suffering from health problems in prison. Indonesia's senior law and human rights minister stated Sandiford was 'seriously ill', while Shahabadi faced multiple serious health issues, including mental health problems, according to AFP.

Sandiford appeared at a press conference in a wheelchair just hours before her departure.

She initially admitted to the offences in 2013 but claimed she was coerced into carrying the cocaine after a drug syndicate threatened her son.

The UK's Deputy Ambassador to Indonesia, Matthew Downing, indicated that their repatriation was centered on 'humanitarian grounds'.

Upon their return, they will receive necessary medical treatment in accordance with UK law and procedures.

In December 2024, Indonesia released the last five members of the 'Bali Nine' drug ring after they served nearly 20 years in Indonesian prisons, while two of their ringleaders were executed in 2015.

Another high-profile case involved Filipina Mary Jane Veloso, who was repatriated to the Philippines after a near-execution, maintaining she had been duped into carrying drugs.