In a significant development‚ five members of the well-known Bali Nine group - whoʼve spent almost two-decades in Indonesian prisons - might soon head back to Australia
The first paragraph of negotiations shows Indonesiaʼs law minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra discussing key transfer points: Australia needs to accept Indonesian legal power respect court decisions and (most importantly) keep these people as inmates after the move
The transfer idea came up in mid-24 when both countries started working on prisoner exchange rules; the draft needs some final touches. The plan would let these life-sentence prisoners finish their time in Australian jails - which is a big step in relations between these countries
- Australia must write down its ok with Indonesian laws
- Both sides need to agree on keeping prisoner status
- Transfer papers should respect Indonesian court choices
The timing looks good for a pre-holiday transfer but everything depends on how fast Australian officials respond to Indonesiaʼs requests: its all about finding the right balance between following rules and getting things done