British Grandmother Lindsay Sandiford Leaves Indonesia Death Row
On November 6, 2025, two British drug convicts, including grandmother Lindsay Sandiford, left a Bali prison as part of a repatriation agreement, an Indonesian ministry official confirmed to AFP.
Indonesia enforces some of the strictest drug laws worldwide but has recently released several high-profile detainees, including a Filipina mother on death row.
Sentencing and Background
Lindsay Sandiford, aged 69, was sentenced to death in 2013 on the tourist island of Bali after being convicted of drug trafficking. Alongside her, Shahab Shahabadi, 36, serving a life sentence for drug-related offenses since his 2014 arrest, was also repatriated.
Law and Human Rights Ministry official I Nyoman Gede Surya Mataram told AFP that both convicts were transferred from prison to the airport on the same day.
Details of the Conviction
Sandiford's arrest came after Customs officers discovered cocaine worth approximately US$2.14 million hidden in a false bottom within her suitcase upon her arrival in Bali in 2012. She admitted to the offense, explaining that she agreed to carry the drugs after a drug syndicate threatened her son's life.
[translate: “Lindsay Sandiford covering her face during a Nov 6 handover ceremony in Bali for her repatriation.”]
Her case raised international attention due to her age and the severity of the sentence.
Author's summary: Lindsay Sandiford, a 69-year-old British grandmother, has been repatriated from Indonesia after being sentenced to death for drug trafficking, reflecting recent shifts in Indonesia's strict drug enforcement policies.
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