TEMPO.CO, Canberra – Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott on Thursday phoned President Joko Widodo to plead for mercy for convicted drug smugglers Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, who have been sentenced to death by Indonesia’s court for drug trafficking.
Abbott said it was “a positive sign that the conversation took place”.
"The President absolutely understands our position, and I think he is carefully considering Indonesia's position," he told reporters at Old Parliament House in Canberra.
He continued that he did not want to “raise hopes that might turn out to be dashed” and described Jokowi as a “friend”.
Chan and Sukumaran were convicted for smuggling 8.3 kilograms of heroin to Australia. The were sentenced to death by Indonesian court.
In a televised appearance on Wednesday, the families of Chan and Sukumaran said they were ashamed of what the pair’s offenses had caused in Indonesia.
"We feel embarrassed because this happened. We, as a family, know that this has caused a lot of shame for Indonesians and we apologize. But I think [in] 10 years he has done a lot of good things for Indonesians inside the prison system to try and ask for forgiveness,” said Michael Chan, brother of Andrew Chan.
SYDNEY MORNING HERALD | MARIA RITA
