Australian officials called to meeting about Bali Nine pair's execution
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Version 0 of 1. Australian embassy officials are due on Saturday to learn more about the impending executions of Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, with Indonesian officials calling them to a meeting. The meeting in Cilacap, the port town closest to Nusa Kambangan where the Bali Nine pair are incarcerated, signals the beginning of the “execution process”, Indonesian officials say. No date has been set for the Sydney men and eight other drug offenders to face to firing squad because one of the prisoners still has an appeal before the courts. Indonesian Zainal Abidin’s request for a judicial review is expected to be determined on Monday. Tony Spontana, spokesman for attorney general HM Prasetyo, said after that time what he termed “D-day” would be announced. Indonesia must give at least 72-hours’ notice of the executions. In Gallipoli, the prime minister, Tony Abbott, said efforts to save Chan, 31, and Sukumaran, 34, are ongoing. “We continue to make our position clear,” he told reporters. “I guess there’s always hope while there’s life but obviously these are late days.” In France, the foreign minister, Julie Bishop is seeking a phone call with her Indonesian counterpart on new developments. Retno Marsudi was unavailable on Friday due to Indonesia hosting the Asian African Conference, Bishop’s office said. Members of the Chan and Sukumaran families will fly to Indonesia on Saturday. Their lawyers, who have lodged a challenge with the constitutional court, are also on the way. Prasetyo has said he doesn’t consider the challenge an issue, believing the pair have exhausted their appeals. But his office is yet to respond to moves by lawyers for Filipina Mary Jane Veloso, who filed a second request for a judicial review late on Friday. The request fulfils the requirement of containing new evidence, they say, arguing the single mother is a victim who was tricked into carrying drugs into Indonesia. The Philippines embassy has been called to the same Saturday meeting, along with France, Brazil and Nigeria, who all have citizens listed to face the firing squad. Veloso was moved to the island of Nusa Kambangan before dawn on Friday, signalling the executions of 10 drug offenders are close. Authorities had delayed moving the 30-year-old for as long as possible because the island has no special facilities for women. Her Philippine lawyer Edre Olalia had planned to seek another judicial review on Monday, but rushed to lodge his case with a Central Java court on Friday. It was received 10 minutes before the office closed, he said. “Mary Jane is a victim of human trafficking,” he told AAP of the Filipina, who says she was tricked into bringing drugs to Indonesia in 2010 after being promised work as a domestic helper. |