The last five members of the Bali Nine – Matthew Norman, Scott Rush, Martin Stephens, Si Yi Chen, and Michael Czugaj – have returned to Australia after serving more than 19 years in an Indonesian prison for their roles in a 2005 heroin smuggling operation.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced their arrival on Sunday, thanking Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto for his “compassion” in facilitating their repatriation.
“These Australians committed serious offences, but it was time for them to come home,” Albanese said in a statement. He expressed gratitude to the Indonesian government, highlighting the strong bilateral relationship that made the release possible.
The five men, who were sentenced to life imprisonment, arrived on a commercial flight and have been provided temporary accommodation as they begin reintegration into Australian society. Despite initial suggestions they might serve further prison time in Australia, no legal framework allows for such an arrangement.
The Bali Nine case drew international attention after the group was caught attempting to smuggle 8.3kg of heroin out of Bali following a tip-off from Australian Federal Police.
Two ringleaders, Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, were executed by firing squad in 2015, sparking diplomatic tensions between Australia and Indonesia.
The remaining members were handed life sentences, except for Renae Lawrence, whose 20-year term was commuted in 2018, and Tan Duc Thanh Nguyen, who died of cancer the same year.
Albanese, alongside Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke, reiterated Australia’s commitment to combatting transnational crime and narcotics trafficking. They also called for media and public respect for the privacy of the men and their families.
While the men have returned to freedom, their release underscores the challenges and complexities of drug law enforcement and international relations. “This outcome reflects the very strong relationship that exists between Indonesia and Australia,” albanese stated, urging ongoing collaboration between the nations on humanitarian and security issues.
Support Our Journalism
The global Indian Diaspora and Australia’s multicultural communities need fair, non-hyphenated, and questioning journalism, packed with on-ground reporting. The Australia Today—with exceptional reporters, columnists, and editors—is doing just that. Sustaining this requires support from wonderful readers like you.
Whether you live in Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States of America, or India you can take a paid subscription by clicking Patreon
