News Digest

Indonesia’s Widodo ‘considering position’ on death row Australians

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott Thursday offered a glimmer of hope for two men facing imminent execution in Indonesia after phoning President Joko Widodo who he said was “carefully considering his position”. Australians Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan, ringleaders of the so-called “Bali Nine” drug smuggling gang, were arrested for trying to traffic heroin out of Indonesia in 2005 and sentenced to death the following year. Their appeals for presidential clemency, typically the final chance of avoiding the firing squad, were recently rejected by Widodo and a court this week dismissed a bid to challenge that decision.

The fact that the president of Indonesia and the prime minister of Australia can talk candidly about these issues is a sign of the strength of the relationship and it’s a sign of the depth of the friendship between Australia and Indonesia.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott

Abbott said it would not help Chan and Sukumaran to detail his talks but “suffice to say that the president absolutely understands our position”. The looming executions by firing squad have dramatically heightened tensions between Australia and Indonesia, fraying ties that were only just recovering from a spying row. Widodo insisted this week that other nations must not interfere in Indonesia’s right to use the death penalty and Attorney-General Muhammad Prasetyo on Wednesday said preparations for a new round of executions were “about 90 per cent” complete.