The death penalty remains a reality in several parts of the world, with countries like Indonesia, India, and the US continuing to carry out capital punishment for serious crimes
With Christmas only days away, 3 British women will spend the festive season behind bars in some of the world’s most notorious prisons.
Convicted of unimaginable crimes, including drug smuggling and murder, these women face death sentences in foreign countries. The death penalty remains a reality in several parts of the world, with countries like Indonesia, India, and the United States continuing to carry out capital punishment for serious crimes.
The British government has long abolished the death penalty, but for its citizens who live in countries where it still exists, justice can take a horrific turn. This Christmas, 3 women with British connections sit in foreign jails awaiting a terrible end. From the firing squad in Indonesia to the lethal injection in Texas, these women’s lives are at stake as they spend another holiday in a cell, their futures uncertain.
Lindsay Sandiford faces firing squad Indonesia
Lindsay Sandiford, 67, has spent over a decade in an Indonesian jail after being convicted of attempting to smuggle £1.6 million worth of cocaine into Bali. Arrested in 2012, she was sentenced to death by firing squad. Although a recent law change could see her sentence commuted to a life term, Sandiford remains in fear of execution.
Locked in Kerobokan Prison, nicknamed “Hotel K” for its brutal conditions, Sandiford has become known as the “grandmother” of the cell block. Despite the harsh reality, her cellmates report she enjoys special privileges, including rare meals and teaching knitting to fellow inmates. While her lawyers continue to fight for her, Sandiford’s future remains uncertain.
She faces the possibility of being transferred to Nusa Kambangan, known as Execution Island, where she would be executed alongside others condemned to death. The British government has refused to fund her appeal despite a ruling from Supreme Court judges in London who said ‘substantial mitigating factors’ had been overlooked in her original trial.
Ramandeep Kaur Mann death by hanging in India
Ramandeep Kaur Mann, 38, has been sentenced to death in India for the murder of her husband, Sukhjit Singh, in 2016. In a chilling plot to inherit his life insurance, Mann poisoned her husband’s dinner (biryani) before slitting his throat in front of their young son, Arjun, who became a key witness at her trial.
Despite his young age, Arjun gave a detailed testimony of how his mother had murdered his father and he’d watched on. Now 17, Arjun has spoken out, expressing his anger at his mother’s actions. “I want nothing to do with her. She’s evil,” he said. Arjun has made it clear he will not mourn his mother if she is hanged, describing the act as justice for his father. Mann’s appeal continues, but she faces the very real threat of execution.
Linda Carty faces lethal injection in Texas
Linda Carty, 63, has been on death row in Texas for over two decades after being convicted of the kidnapping and murder of her neighbour, Joana Rodriguez, in 2001. Carty was sentenced to death for allegedly orchestrating the crime, which involved kidnapping Joana and her newborn son in a bid to steal the baby.
Despite maintaining her innocence, Carty remains on death row, awaiting an execution date. Whilst she maintains her innocence, the evidence against her was substantial. Her case has sparked debates over the fairness of her trial and the quality of her legal representation. Carty’s daughter, Jovelle Joubert, has spoken about the emotional toll, admitting she could not bear to attend her mother’s execution.
As Christmas nears, these 3 women each with their own disturbing stories spend the holidays on death row, their futures uncertain in a place far away from home.
