Five Bali Nine Members Return to Australia After 19 Years, No Additional Prison Time

Dec 15, 2024, 06:07 AM

Five members of the notorious 'Bali Nine' drug smuggling gang, Matthew Norman, Scott Rush, Martin Stephens, Si Yi Chen, and Michael Czugaj, have returned to Australia after serving over 19 years in Indonesian prisons. Their return was facilitated by a deal between the Australian and Indonesian governments, reflecting a humanitarian gesture by Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto. The men were part of a group of nine Australians arrested in 2005 for attempting to smuggle heroin out of Bali. The case drew international attention, particularly when two members, Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, were executed in 2015. The remaining five will not serve additional prison time in Australia but will have access to government support for their rehabilitation and reintegration into the community.