Madeiran national Rui Viana, who was convicted of drug trafficking in Indonesia, continues to await the formal extradition process that would allow him to serve the remainder of his prison sentence in Portugal.
The case, first reported by SIC Notícias, reveals that more than two years after the arrests and around a year and a half after the convictions, both Rui Viana and fellow Portuguese national Fernando Sousa remain imprisoned in Indonesia while awaiting action by the Portuguese authorities.
The two men were arrested in March 2024 after Indonesian authorities allegedly discovered nearly three kilograms of liquid cocaine concealed in shampoo bottles at Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport. Both initially faced the possibility of the death penalty, although this was ultimately ruled out.
Rui Viana accepted responsibility for the offence and was sentenced to 13 and a half years’ imprisonment. Fernando Sousa, who has consistently denied any involvement, was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
According to the SIC report, Fernando Sousa said that approximately a year ago the Portuguese ambassador met with Indonesia’s justice authorities, who indicated they would authorise the transfer of the two prisoners provided a formal request was submitted by the Portuguese Government. Sousa claims that request has yet to be made.
SIC Notícias said it contacted Portugal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs for comment on the status of the process but had received no response at the time of publication.
Since the beginning of this year, both men have been held at Tangerang Prison in Banten Province, where they continue to serve their sentences while awaiting any developments regarding a possible transfer.
Fernando Sousa also told SIC Notícias that he has written a book setting out his version of events and maintaining his innocence. He claims to possess a statement from Rui Viana that he believes exonerates him, but says the Indonesian courts did not consider it sufficient during the appeal process. SIC Notícias noted that it was unable to independently verify this claim with Rui Viana.
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
Photo: JM
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