Lindsay Sandiford, a UK citizen, loses death sentence appeal in Indonesia

GlobalPost

Lindsay Sandiford, the 57-year-old British woman sentenced to death by an Indonesian Supreme Court for smuggling $2.5 million of cocaine into Bali, has lost her appeal.

Sandiford's appeal was unanimously rejected by a three-member panel of Indonesia's highest court. She was originally sentenced to death by firing squad in January, even though prosecutors had only asked for a 15-year prison term.

Sandiford told the courts during her trial that she was forced to carry the 10.6lbs of cocaine by a gang that threatened her children.

More from GlobalPost: Indonesian court sentences British grandmother Lindsay Sandiford to death for smuggling cocaine into Bali

She previously filed an appeal to Bali's high court in April, but lost that as well. Sandiford's last option is to now seek a judicial review of her case before appealing directly to the president for clemency, but only if she can produce new evidence or show that the judges in her case were negligent.

The Foreign Office continued to reiterate its "strong opposition" to the death penalty for Sandiford after her latest verdict was read.

"We will consider how to support any application for judicial review or clemency that Lindsay Sandiford chooses to make," it said in a statement.

"We will continue to provide consular assistance to Lindsay Sandiford and her family at this difficult time."

Indonesian police have accused Sandiford of being involved in a drug ring with three other Britons, all who have already been convicted.

Julian Ponder, 43, was convicted of cocaine possession and was sentenced to six years in jail in January and fined just over $100,000. His partner, 38-year-old Rachel Dougall, received a one-year sentence in March, but was released in May after already serving eight months while awaiting trial.

Paul Beales, who resided in Bali, was also jailed for four years for marijuana possession.

Sign up for our daily newsletter

Sign up for The Top of the World, delivered to your inbox every weekday morning.