The group of nine Australians who have been convicted for smuggling 18 lb of heroin from Indonesia to Australia are collectively known as Bali 9. The smuggled heroine is known to be worth 3.1 million US dollars. Given below is an exact timeline of the series of events which led to the conviction of Bali 9.

1. April 17, 2005

On April 17, 2005 nine Australians were caught and charged as they were making an attempt to smuggle heroin out of Indonesia.  Martin Stephens, Renae Lawrence, Scott Rush and Michael Czugaj Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran were arrested at Denspar airport where the authorities found packets of heroin attached to their bodies. The remaining three; Si Yi Chen, Tan Duc Thanh Nguyen and Matthew Norman were caught with 300 grams of heroin by the authorities at the Maslati Hotel.

2. Commencement of Trials – October 11, 2005

On October 11, 2005 trials began in Denpasar for two of the convicts: Michael Czugaj and Myuran Sukumaran.

3. October 12, 2005

On October 12, 2005 trial began for Martin Stephens.The smugglers who were arrested at the Maslati Hotel were brought to court in a separate trial.

4. October 13, 2005

This day brought the commencement of trial for Andrew Chan and Scott Rush.

5. February 13-15, 2006

Lawrence and Rush were subjected to life imprisonment on February 13, 2006. Chan and Sukumaran were issued death penalty. They were to face their demise by firing squad. This order was issued by February 14, 2006. Norman, Chen and Nguyen were sentenced life imprisonment on February 15, 2006.

6. January 30, 2007

Scott Rush’s life imprisonment was challenged by his lawyers on the basis of the clause in the constitution of Indonesia that to live is the right of every man. Rush’s lawyers also argued that Indonesia being a part of the International Covenant on Civil Rights and Political Rights, Indonesian judiciary should reserve death penalty for serious crime like murder. Likewise, the lawyers for Mathew Norman, Tan Nguyen and Si Yi Chen also filed review appeals for the death penalties of their respective clients.

7. March 6, 2008:

Indonesian Supreme Court reduced the death penalties of Tan Nguyen and Mathew Norman to life imprisonment. This was the finalized decision.

8. August 13, 2010:

Requests for judicial review of death penalties were lodged by Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran on August 13, 2010. Both the inmates begged for forgiveness in front of the jury.

9. May 11, 2011:

On May 11, 2011 death penalty of Scott Rush was reduced to life imprisonment.

10. July 7, 2011

Myuran Sukumaran did not get quite as lucky as Scott Rush and His death penalty by firing squad remained intact unless the then President of Indonesia Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono granted him clemency.

11.  December 11, 2014

Indonesia’s new president; Joko Widodo was even more strict in his stance to punish the drug criminals than his predecessor . While addressing university students, he made it clear that drug dealers will get no mercy in Indonesia.

12. January 17, 2015

This is when the Australian Prime Minister, Tony Abott, thought of taking the matter in his hand. He made a personal appeal to his Indonesian counterpart Joko Widodo to grant mercy to Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukymaran.

13 . April 29, 2015

All the efforts went to drain and the execution plan of Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran was carried out on April 29, 2015. These two inmates were shot to death by the firing squad on Nusakambangan island in central Java. The saddest part of their execution was that Chan had married his fiancée Febynati Herewila only 2 days before his execution was carried out.