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Lindsay Sandiford: 'Time on death row is running out' | Lindsay Sandiford: 'Time on death row is running out' |
(35 minutes later) | |
A British woman, sentenced to death for drug smuggling in Bali, has written to the UK government asking for legal help or funding for an appeal. | |
Lindsay Sandiford, 57, from Cheltenham, says time is running out and she could be executed within a few weeks. | Lindsay Sandiford, 57, from Cheltenham, says time is running out and she could be executed within a few weeks. |
Last year, the UK's Supreme Court called on ministers to review her case. | Last year, the UK's Supreme Court called on ministers to review her case. |
Sandiford was found with cocaine worth an estimated £1.6m when she arrived in Bali from Thailand in May 2012. She faces death by firing squad. | Sandiford was found with cocaine worth an estimated £1.6m when she arrived in Bali from Thailand in May 2012. She faces death by firing squad. |
Sandiford claims she was forced to transport the drugs to protect her children, whose safety was at stake. | Sandiford claims she was forced to transport the drugs to protect her children, whose safety was at stake. |
Tough laws | Tough laws |
In a letter passed to the BBC, Sandiford appealed to UK Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond, who is due to visit Indonesia this month. | In a letter passed to the BBC, Sandiford appealed to UK Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond, who is due to visit Indonesia this month. |
She said she currently had no legal representation and could not afford to pay for a lawyer, which meant she had been denied the opportunity to fully challenge her death penalty and the right to file for clemency. | She said she currently had no legal representation and could not afford to pay for a lawyer, which meant she had been denied the opportunity to fully challenge her death penalty and the right to file for clemency. |
She also said she had received little or no help from the Foreign Office since her arrest. | She also said she had received little or no help from the Foreign Office since her arrest. |
Sandiford said there was a risk the Indonesian authorities might interpret this as a lack of commitment by the government to her case. | Sandiford said there was a risk the Indonesian authorities might interpret this as a lack of commitment by the government to her case. |
The Foreign Office in the Indonesian capital Jakarta said it had consistently provided and offered consular support to Sandiford, up until the point she refused its services. | The Foreign Office in the Indonesian capital Jakarta said it had consistently provided and offered consular support to Sandiford, up until the point she refused its services. |
Last year, Sandiford challenged the UK's government's policy not to fund Britons facing capital charges abroad. | Last year, Sandiford challenged the UK's government's policy not to fund Britons facing capital charges abroad. |
Although the UK's top court dismissed the appeal, the judges called on the government to look at her case "urgently". | Although the UK's top court dismissed the appeal, the judges called on the government to look at her case "urgently". |
The Supreme Court's written ruling said "the local courts seem to have ignored the substantial mitigating factors in her case". | The Supreme Court's written ruling said "the local courts seem to have ignored the substantial mitigating factors in her case". |
The judges cited age, mental problems, lack of previous criminal record and co-operation with police. | The judges cited age, mental problems, lack of previous criminal record and co-operation with police. |
They said there was a "remarkable disparity of her sentence with those members of the syndicate whom she helped to bring to justice". | They said there was a "remarkable disparity of her sentence with those members of the syndicate whom she helped to bring to justice". |
The BBC's Karishma Vaswani said Indonesia had some of the toughest drug laws in the world, and last month it executed six people - including five foreigners - on drug related offences. | The BBC's Karishma Vaswani said Indonesia had some of the toughest drug laws in the world, and last month it executed six people - including five foreigners - on drug related offences. |
Indonesian President Joko Widodo had recently declared he would reject all clemency appeals from drug convicts, she added. | Indonesian President Joko Widodo had recently declared he would reject all clemency appeals from drug convicts, she added. |