Bali Nine Duo And Six Others Executed In Indonesia — Know Who They Are & Their Offence

The Bali Nine duo and six others are dead, and a strong message has been sent across the globe by Indonesian President Joko Widodo — Indonesia will not falter on its sovereignty. It will neither bend its rules to accommodate political "comrades" nor will it submit to pleas of compassion.

Eight death row convicts have been executed in Nusakambangan Prison Island near Cilacap, Central Java, Indonesia early on Wednesday, April 29, according to the statement issued by the Attorney General’s Office. One convict, Filipina Mary Jane Fiesta Veloso, was spared at the last minute.

Bali Duo — Andrew Chan & Myuran Sukumaran

During his arrest on the evening of April 2005, Andrew Chan was only 22 years old. He was taken off from an aircraft supposedly departing for Australia, where he lived with his parents. Although no drugs were found in his possession, the Supreme Court found him guilty, nonetheless, of spearheading smuggling of drugs and recruiting seven other Australians, who later became the Bali Nine. He was sentenced to death by firing squad. Chan lamented that mothers should not bury their kids.

Myuran Sukumaran was also arrested in 2005 in Bali. Before his arrest however, he too, lived with his parents in Sydney and worked in a mailroom. The time spent in prison made him a passionate artist, painting portraits and depictions of his final hours. His final wish was to paint for as long as he could. Sukumaran’s last artwork was a heart drizzling with blood and signed by nine convicts about to be executed.

Rodrigo Gularte

Brazilian Rodrigo Gularte came from an affluent family in Parana and was apprehended in 2004 at Jakarta airport for having in his possession 6kgs of cocaine. Gularte was the second Brazilian to have been executed by firing squad in Indonesia. Diagnosed with schizophrenia in 1982, his lawyers argued his mental illness made him unsuitable for trial. In 2014, the confirmation of his illness was ordered by Indonesia’s attorney general but the same was not made public, sparking criticisms against Indonesia’s lack of transparency.

Zainal Abidin

50-year-old Indonesian Zainal Abidin was convicted in 2001 of scheming a plot to trade marijuana. Abidin claimed that the other two — who were convicted with him — were the real ringleaders, but are now given their liberty back after serving time in prison.

Okwuduli Oyatanze

In 2002, Forty-one years old Oyatanze, a Nigerian, was sentenced to death after a botched attempt of being a drug mule. He was found to have carried 2.5kg of heroin in his stomach. In a counselling with a Catholic priest, Oyatanze confessed he thought that becoming a drug mule would give him “easy money.”

Martin Anderson

Sentenced to death in 2004, Martin Anderson, 50, was guilty of being in possession of 1.8oz of heroin. He travelled to Indonesia using a false passport. Authorities later identified him to be a Nigerian.

Silvester Obiekwe Nwolise

Also sentenced to death due to drugs offence was Silvester Obiekwe Nwolise, 47, whose wife claimed Nwolise did not have a translator during his trial. He, too, carried more than a kilogram of heroin.

Raheem Agbaje Salami

Raheem Agbaje Salami stayed in Bangkok, albeit homeless. He alleged he was offered $400 by a friend to deliver some clothes to Indonesia. In Surabay, he was arrested for possessing 5.5 kg of heroin. He was originally sentenced to life imprisonment in 1999.

Serge Atlaoui (On Temporary Reprieve) Serge Atlaoui is a Frenchman who was supposed to be among the death row convicts to be executed, but a legal challenge interposed a delay. Atlaoui claimed he did not have any knowledge about the illegal activities in the factory, where he worked as a welder. His arrest was on the ground that the factory produced ecstasy.

Mary Jane Veloso (On Temporary Reprieve)

Filipina Mary Jane Veloso, 30, was arrested in 2010 in Yogyakarta, Indonesia for carrying a luggage containing 2.2kg of heroin. She claimed poverty forced her to work as a domestic helper supposedly in Malaysia but it turned out to be serving as a drug mule. She was sentenced to death but her execution was delayed in a nick of time when Philippine authorities said her “recruiter” was arrested and her testimony as a witness is crucial in identifying other crime masterminds.

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