Bali prosecutors seek review of Corby's 20-year sentence
Bali prosecutors seek review of Corby's 20-year sentence
The Jakarta Post, Denpasar, Bali
Taking no notice of some Australians' outrage over the conviction
of Schapelle Leigh Corby, 27, prosecutors in the drug case have
filed an appeal, demanding that the 27-year-old be imprisoned for
life.
The Denpasar District Court sentenced Corby earlier this month
to 20 years' imprisonment after finding her guilty of smuggling
4.2 kilograms of marijuana into the country. Her lawyers have
appealed to the provincial high court for her release, saying she
is not guilty.
Prosecutor Ida Bagus Wiswantanu said Corby should have
received a harsher sentence.
"Basically, we're not satisfied with the verdict. The convict
deserves a life sentence," Wiswantanu was quoted by Antara as
saying on Monday.
According to him, the appeal was filed to accommodate the
opinion that the punishment was too light for someone who
smuggled 4.2 kilograms of marijuana into the country.
The prosecutors emphasized in their appeal the harmful
implications of the transnational smuggling of drugs and other
illicit materials, and of the widespread use of drugs among the
nation's youth.
Meanwhile, Corby's attorneys led by lawyer Erwin Siregar are
now searching for new evidence to help release their client or
have her sentence reduced.
The lawyers said they filed the appeal just one week after the
district court handed down its verdict. But a high court clerk,
Anak Agung Sagung Ratnadi, said his office had so far not
received Corby's appeal from the district court.
In the wake of widespread resentment in Australia over the
verdict, the Indonesian Embassy in Canberra received mysterious
packages twice within a week, forcing its closure for fear that
the packages contained a harmful substance. Australian
authorities later declared the packages harmless.
Some people believe Corby was the victim of an international
drug syndicate. They have threatened to boycott Bali as a holiday
destination and demanded the return of tsunami aid for Indonesian
victims.