A Catholic Archbishop and Muslim leader have joined forces to appeal for the lives of two Australians facing execution in Indonesia.
Archbishop Anthony Fisher of Sydney made a joint appeal with the Grand Mufti of the Australian National Imams Council, Dr Ibrahim Abu Mohammad, for clemency for Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran. The pair are facing imminent execution by firing squad in Indonesia over an attempt to smuggle heroin into Australia almost 10 years ago.
"We do not question their guilt," the two religious leaders said in a joint statement on 8 February. "We do not question the seriousness of their crime ... Our plea today to the President and people of Indonesia is on the basis of their apparent remorse and repentance for a crime they committed nearly 10 years ago. Execution would prematurely end these lives, robbing both them and our communities of the opportunity for ongoing repentance and rehabilitation."
Archbishop Fisher told The Sydney Morning Herald: "In the case of these two men, I don't think anyone is suggesting that they're a danger any more to society. Every sign is that they are reformed characters. They should still pay a price in terms of punishment for what they've done, we all agree."
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