Five Members of Bali Nine Drug Ring Repatriated to Australia After Years of Imprisonment

Mon Dec 15 2025 11:11:48 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

The long-awaited return of the last Australians imprisoned over their involvement in the Bali Nine drug smuggling case has finally commenced.

In a remarkable conclusion to a diplomatic saga, five Australians known as the Bali Nine have returned to Australia after nearly two decades of imprisonment in Indonesia. The group made headlines in 2005 when they attempted to smuggle heroin while traveling to Australia from Bali, an incident that caused significant tension between the two nations.

The men, Matthew Norman, Scott Rush, Martin Stephens, Si Yi Chen, and Michael Czugaj, were officially repatriated on Sunday, marking the closure of a chapter that saw two of their co-defendants executed in 2015, another die from cancer, and one released for good behavior in 2018. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese hailed their return as a significant act of compassion from Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto, who is reshaping his reputation after a controversial background.

While Indonesian officials clarified that the men were not pardoned but transferred under a reciprocal arrangement, Albanese emphasized their opportunity for rehabilitation and reintegration into Australian society. Without a formal prisoner transfer agreement, the repatriated individuals will be free to live their lives without further restrictions.