I write to challenge Patrick Robertson’s claim that the AFP is not responsible for Australians being on death row in Indonesia (“AFP just doing its job”, December 10, p22).
If the AFP had waited until the Australians returned home to arrest them, they may now be facing up to 20 years in jail here. By providing information to the Indonesian police, the AFP and Blind Freddy would know that the probable result would be arrest in Indonesia, charges and trials there, and the likelihood of the Australians being sentenced to death.
Thus there is a direct link between the actions of the AFP and the fact that Australians are now sitting on death row. Further, it is incumbent on the Australian Government to actively work for the abolition of capital punishment globally, including in Indonesia.
If as a nation we campaign internationally to stop the killing of whales, why do we not campaign to stop the killing of humans?
Dr Kris Klugman, president, Civil Liberties Australia (Canberra Times letter)