As Bali Nine drug smugglers Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran await their executions, which are expected to be carried out on Tuesday night in Indonesia, Chan has married his girlfriend, Febyanti Herewila, in a prison ceremony.
The news was revealed by Michael Chan, who had just returned from visiting his brother on Nusakambangan, where he is currently incarcerated in Besi prison.
“Feby and Andrew had a celebration this evening,” Michael said of the pair, per reports in Fairfax. “It’s tough times, but it’s happy times at the same time.”
Herewila is a pastor, who regularly visited Kerobokan jail, where Chan was formerly held, as part of her outreach work. They married in a small ceremony at which family and friends were present.
“Hopefully the president will still show some compassion so these young people can continue with their lives,” Michael continued.
Indonesia’s constitutional court has agreed to hear a challenge to the country’s clemency laws, something for which Chan and Sukumaran’s lawyers have strongly pushed, on May 12.
This court has no power to delay the executions, however, and the families of the condemned prisoners have been told that they will have to say their final farewells on Tuesday afternoon.
Yesterday, one of Chan and Sukumaran’s former lawyers, Muhamad Rifan, came forward with allegations that judges who set their death penalty had asked for bribes of up to $130,000 for more lenient sentencing.
He cited this as an example of deep corruption within Indonesia’s legal system, and asked that the executions be put on hold while it’s investigated.
Photo: Bay Ismoyo via Getty Images
