British grandmother Lindsay Sandiford has lost her appeal against her death sentence in Bali for drug trafficking.
A Bali High Court spokesman said a panel of judges on the Indonesian island upheld the sentence handed down to the 56-year-old in January.
Sandiford will be executed by firing squad if her death penalty is upheld. But she can now make a further appeal to Indonesia’s Supreme Court in Jakarta.
Drugs mule Sandiford was caught smuggling cocaine worth £1.6 million in the lining of a suitcase from Bangkok to the island last year.
She got a death sentence despite taking part in a sting after her arrest which resulted in the arrest and conviction of the smuggling plot’s alleged masterminds, who got lighter sentences.
Briton Julian Ponder, 43, the plot’s alleged mastermind, was sentenced to six years for possessing cocaine after initial accusations of conspiracy to traffic drugs were reduced.
His partner Rachel Dougall, 38, got one year for failing to report a crime while a third Briton, 40-year-old Paul Beales, jailed for four years for possessing drugs.
Sandiford claims she only agreed to carry the cocaine because of death threats to her son and says Ponder, Beale and Dougall organised her smuggling run from Bangkok to Bali.
She is on death row in the Bali’s notorious Kerobokan jail with Dougall, Ponder and Beale and claims to have been subjected to death threats for sneaking on them to police.
Lindsay Sandiford was caught smuggling cocaine worth £1.6million in her suitcase from Thailand
Dougall, whose six year-old daughter with Ponder, Kitty, is being cared for by her parents in Brighton, is due to walk free in May after completing her one-year sentence.
The decision follows Foreign Secretary William Hague's ealier plea not to execute the grandmother from Cheltenham.
Last month Mr Hague has sent a strongly-worded appeal to the three judges through the Foreign Office arguing Sandiford’s death penalty is 'unwarranted because it is an excessive punishment'.
The 14-page submission, shown to the Mail on Sunday by a court insider, says the British government has 'serious concerns' over Sandiford’s case.
'The government requests that the court takes into account the violations of Mrs Sandiford’s fundamental rights and decide that in these circumstances the death penalty would not be appropriate,' it says.
Death sentence: The court told the grandmother she had shamed Bali's tourism reputation by smuggling cocaine in the lining of her suitcase through the island's international airport
Caught: Sandiford was arrested at Bali's international airport with 10.6lb of cocaine in her possession
'Allegations of mistreatment of Mrs Sandiford during the initial period in detention have been raised. This includes threats with a gun and sleep deprivation.
'The UK government also has serious concerns at the absence of immediate – and prolonged delay of – consular notification. This is all the more concerning given the absence of legal representation and a translator during the period of detention.'
The document – known as an Amicus Brief – says Sandiford’s death penalty should be reduced to a jail term and implies her execution would have diplomatic repercussions.
'Mrs Sandiford is a 56 year old woman. She has two sons and an infant grandchild who would plainly be seriously affected were Mrs Sandiford to be executed,' it says.
'Mrs Sandiford cooperated with the authorities with a view to detaining others who were involved in the drug trafficking.
The British grandmother is being kept in Kerobokan jail in Bali, Indonesia. A court official confimed his office had received the appeal request from the prison
'The High Court should take into account this cooperation, especially given that the others involved have now been convicted.'
British embassy officials in Indonesia did not learn of Sandiford’s arrest for nearly two weeks after her initial arrest as she cooperated in the drawn-out police sting.
Foreign Secretary William Hague has urged Indonesia not to execute drug smuggling grandmother Lindsay Sandiford
'The (British) government wishes to draw the attention of the court to the allegations of mistreatment by officials when Mrs Sandiford was first detained,' says the document.
'This mistreatment constituted violations of Mrs Sandiford’s fundamental rights under international law and Indonesian constitutional law.
'Mrs Sandiford was also not provided with a lawyer during the period of interrogation and in addition concerns have been raised about the adequacy of Mrs Sandiford’s legal representation during parts of the trial process.'
Criticising the January sentence in the district court in the island capital Denpasar, document argues: 'It is not apparent that the court took account of these considerable mitigating factors when making its decision.
'The fact that the prosecution did not seek the death penalty gives weight to the inappropriateness of the death sentence in Ms Sandiford’s case.'
Foreign Office spokesman Jonathan Farr said the amicus brief was not signed personally by Hague but by a representative of the Foreign Office 'on behalf of Her Majesty’s Government'.
He added: 'The amicus brief forms part of Lindsay Sandiford’s appeal against her death penalty sentence.
'It continues to be the longstanding policy of the United Kingdom to oppose the death penalty in all circumstances and we will do all we can assist British Nationals facing the death penalty.'
