Tuesday 28 April 2015

Australian on death row weds fiancée in prison few hours to his execution

 Chan married his fiancé (right ) of less than three months inside the prison today, where coffins were seen arriving earlier this evening.

An Australian drug smuggler, Andrew Chan who is expected to be executed by firing squad in Indonesia tomorrow evening has married his fiancé of less than three months inside the prison today, as family paid what will be one of their last visits.
Their wedding was held just months after the drugs ringleader proposed to his girlfriend at Kerobokan Prison.

The shooting is set to go ahead despite Indonesia's Constitutional Court agreeing to hear a legal challenge brought by the duo and setting a hearing date of May 12.

Chan and another convicted drug smuggler, Myuran Sukumaran, are part of the Bali Nine who were convicted in 2005 over a plot to smuggle around 18.2lbs of heroin from Indonesia to Australia.
The pair, as well as other death row inmates, have remained defiant in their final hours inside the prison on Indonesia's 'death island', where coffins were seen arriving earlier this evening.

Leonard Arpan, lawyer for the two men, said he had lodged an appeal against the death sentences, but Indonesia's attorney general  Muhammad Prasetyo said it would not stop the executions taking place.
Families of both of the men visited them today and were told they will have to say their final goodbyes tomorrow. 
Chan's mother was in tears as she boarded a ferry to the island with the pair's Australian lawyer Julian McMahon.
Sukumaran was denied the opportunity to hug his mother goodbye after guards refused to remove his handcuffs, according to the Daily Telegraph. 
Michael Chan (left), the brother of Andrew Chan, and Chinthu Sukumaran (right), the brother of Myuran Sukumaran, have pleaded once again for their clemency 
Michael Chan (left), the brother of Andrew Chan, and Chinthu Sukumaran (right), the brother of Myuran Sukumaran, have pleaded once again for their clemency 

The date of the executions became official when a local funeral director was instructed to inscribe the names of those to be shot by firing squad and the date of their deaths.
Chan and Sukumaran both refused to sign their execution warrants during official proceedings on Saturday, saying they believed it would be unjust to kill them. 
The latter's brother, Chinthu Sukumaran, said: 'He's found peace with what may happen but he and we all feel that this is a grave injustice and it did not have to be this way and it still doesn't have to be this way.' 
He also called on Indonesia President Joko Widodo to give clemency to the men
'Please, please show mercy,' he said. 'There are nine people with families that love them.
'That's mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, brothers and sisters.
'We ask the president to please use his powers to intervene and save their lives.' 
The Australian men are expected to be led from their isolated cells in Batu prison and through tropical forest.
The condemned pair will be given white clothing to wear, which symbolises the afterlife, before beginning their fatal trek. 
They will be given the option to be blindfolded with a piece of fabric before facing the firing squad, who will be lined up anywhere from five to 10 metres in front of them.
The death row inmates will be allowed to stand, sit or kneel before a cross is placed over their hearts, acting as a target for the 12 riflemen - of which nine will have blanks and only three will have live rounds.
If necessary their hands or feet will be tied to a three-metre high pole or a wooden execution chair.
Michael Chan said his brother's only wish would be to go to church with his family in his last days.
'The two boys are still holding up pretty well considering they feel this is injust (unjust) to what has happened over the last ten years with their whole case,' he said.
'Somewhere in the legal system for Indonesia there's got to be mercy and the president needs to show that now.
'He's the only one that can stop it and it's not too late to do so.' 

No comments:

Post a Comment