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Capital Punishment: have your say...

Australians on Death Row

The following Australians have been executed in recent years:

The following Australians are facing the death penalty overseas either because they have been convicted of, or charged with, offences that attract a death sentence: The following Australians are no longer in jeopardy of execution:

Henry chhin

COUNTRY:
China
CONVICTED:
trafficking 270g of amphetamines (convicted in March 2005)
SENTENCE:
death - suspended for two years.
Mr Chhin's sentence will be reviewed in 2007 - and might be commuted.
APPEAL:
unknown
OTHER INFO:
  • arrested in May 2004
  • usually resides in Sydney

source: Neil Mercer, 'Three more on Asian death row', Sunday Telegraph (4 December 2005) 7.

Bali Nine

Six of the Bali Nine have been sentenced to death:
name
age
origin sentenced to..
Andrew Chan
21
Sydney DEATH
Myuran Sukumaran
24
Sydney DEATH
Scott Anthony Rush
19
Brisbane DEATH
Si Yi Chen
20
Sydney life
Tach Duc Thanh Nguyen
27
Brisbane life
Matthew James Norman
18
Sydney life
Martin Eric Stephens
29
Woolongong life
Michael William Czugaj
19
Brisbane 20 years
Renae Lawrence
27
Newcastle 20 years

Circumstances of their arrest:

COUNTRY:
Indonesia (Bali Province)
CHARGED:
  • all the Bali Nine were charged with offences that attract the death penalty.

source: ABC News Online (27 September 2005)

APPEALS:
...pending
OTHER INFO:

Tony Manh

COUNTRY:
Vietnam
CONVICTED:
trafficking of heroin
SENTENCE:
death
APPEAL:
Appeal dismissed (22 Nov 07). Mr Manh now relies on presidential clemency.
OTHER INFO:
source: Ben Cubby, 'Death sentence for Aussie smuggler', Sydney Morning Herald (19 September 2007).

Jasmine Luong

COUNTRY:
Vietnam
CONVICTED:
trafficking of heroin
SENTENCE:
death
APPEAL:
Originally sentenced to life imprisonment, Ms Luong's sentence was increased to death after prosecutors appealed her sentence. Ms Luong now relies on presidential clemency.
OTHER INFO:
source: Lisa Murray, 'I had no choice, says courier facing death', Sydney Morning Herald (22 March 2008).

no longer facing death sentence

Schapelle Corby

COUNTRY:
Indonesia (Bali Province)
CONVICTED:
importing 4kg of cannabis (marijuana) (convicted on 27 May 2005)
SENTENCE:

20 year prison sentence; appealing sentence

Tallaal Adrey (aka Talaal Adree)

COUNTRY:
Kuwait
CONVICTED:
weapons and firearms charges (convicted on 27 December 2005)
SENTENCE:
sentenced to 4 years hard labour

Tran Thi Hong Loan

COUNTRY:
Vietnam
CONVICTED:
smuggling 580g of heroin (convicted in 15 July 2005)
SENTENCE:
20 years prison sentence

Nguyen Van Chinh

COUNTRY:
Vietnam
CONVICTED:
buying 1kg of heroin in Vietnam (convicted on 22 April 2005)
SENTENCE:
death, but commuted to life on 17 February 2006
OTHER INFO:
  • co-accused Nguyen Manh Cuong has been found unfit to stand trial & so will not face the death penalty.
  • read SMH press reports: 28/7/05, 11/6/05 and 18/2/06.

Mai Cong Thanh

COUNTRY:
Vietnam
CONVICTED:
trafficking 1.7kg of heroin (convicted on 9 June 2005)
SENTENCE:
death, but commuted to life on 17 February 2006

Trinh Huu

COUNTRY:
Vietnam
CONVICTED:
trafficking 2kg of heroin (convicted on 20 December 2005)
SENTENCE:
death, but commuted to life on 17 November 2006
OTHER INFO:
  • AFP officers were also responsible for cooperating with Vietnamese authorities and exposing Trinh to the death penalty; see 'AFP under fire over Vietnam drug arrest', Sun Herald (19 February 2006)

Aggrey Kiyingi

COUNTRY:
Uganda
ACQUITTED:
murder (which carries death penalty in Uganda)
OTHER INFO:

George Forbes

COUNTRY:
Sudan
ACQUITTED:
murder (convicted in May 2007, conviction quashed on appeal)
OTHER INFO:
source: Dan Harrison , 'Australian to appeal against Sudanese verdict', Sydney Morning Herald (22 May 2007).

Barry Hess

COUNTRY:
Indonesia (Bali Province)
CHARGED:
initially charged with capital offences, but convicted of lesser charge of "being a drug addict without reporting to authorities".
OTHER INFO:
source: 'Bali Nine jail warder in court on drug charges', news.com.au (20 November 2007).

Links

For more information on Australians in prisons overseas, visit ForeignPrisoner.com, which is run by volunteers - including Australians who have been held in prisons in our region.
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