DENPASAR, Indonesia — After more than a decade spent waiting for an uncertain fate behind bars, a British grandmother is finally going home.
Lindsay Sandiford, 69, once sentenced to death in Bali for drug trafficking, left Kerobokan Prison on Thursday — a moment many thought she would never live to see. She was accompanied by fellow British national Shahab Shahabadi, 36, who had been serving a life sentence for drug offenses.
Both are being repatriated to the United Kingdom on humanitarian grounds, as part of a bilateral deal between the two governments.
✈ A Journey Home After Years of Fear
Sandiford kept her face hidden during the handover ceremony — a quiet moment loaded with emotion for a woman who spent years preparing for death.
Indonesian officials confirmed the transfer:
“Their detention will be moved to the United Kingdom…
but still respecting our legal decision.”
They are scheduled to fly to London via Doha, leaving Indonesia just after midnight.
⚖ A Past That Changed Everything
Sandiford was arrested in 2012 at Bali’s international airport after customs officers found over $2 million worth of cocaine concealed in her luggage.
She admitted to the crime — but insisted she acted out of fear, claiming a drug syndicate threatened to kill her son if she refused.
Her case dominated UK headlines, especially in 2015, when she wrote openly about her fear of execution:
“My execution is imminent…
I could be taken tomorrow from my cell.
I have started to write goodbye letters.”
Those haunting words captured the reality she faced every day.
🏥 Health Before Punishment
Officials say both Sandiford and Shahabadi are being sent home because of severe health problems.
Britain’s deputy ambassador Matthew Downing emphasized that once they land:
“The priority will be their health…
assessment, treatment, and rehabilitation they need.”
Their legal fate will now be in the hands of UK authorities.
🇮🇩 A Shift in Indonesia’s Approach
Indonesia is known for its strict anti-drug laws — and its large death row population. Nearly 600 people remain on death row, including around 90 foreigners.
But recently, things have been changing.
Since 2024, President Prabowo Subianto’s administration has repatriated several high-profile prisoners, including:
✅ Members of the infamous “Bali Nine”
✅ Filipina former death row prisoner Mary Jane Veloso
✅ French national Serge Atlaoui, sent home in February
Indonesia hasn’t carried out an execution since 2016.
🌍 A Story of Survival, Not Freedom
For Sandiford and Shahabadi, the flight home does not mean the end of accountability — only a new chapter.
They will serve the rest of their sentences under British law.
But for a grandmother who once wrote goodbye letters in fear…
just stepping onto a plane home is already a miracle.
She survives. She goes home.
And she gets a chance to breathe again.
