Myuran Sukumaran: Court hearing at Denpasar Bali

The atmosphere at the court was surprisingly relaxed. There was little security, no one giving orders and I was free to wander where I wanted. An Aussie lady stood with a kid who resembled Michael Czugaj and I knew it was his mother. Wonder how she is dealing with all this. I could of stuck a micro phone in her face but it didn’t seem appropriate at the time. A while later she was inside chatting with her lawyer. I sat down in th hall and overheard their conversation which was about rugby league and the local pub. I think she was just trying to carry on as best as possible like anyone would.

Here in Indonesia some people think the best way to get a decision is to get money into the hands of people who make decisions. In this case we would be talking about hundreds of thousands of dollars. These families probably don’t have that hanging around. A short while later I saw some action around the cell and Bali Nine enforcer, Myuran Sukumaran walked out on his way to a hearing. He is not co operating and will probably get the death sentence, although he won’t know the prosecution’s demand today.
Walking over to that courthouse I sat in the back row and listened for 20 minutes. Everything was in Indonesian, with Sukumaran getting everything translated. Wearing black pants and an open-collared white shirt, his demeanor was respectful. My view was blocked by the lawyers, but I saw him blinking nervously at times. Who wouldn’t? His life can be taken away by this court and probably will.
The atmosphere in the courtroom was light and relaxed, people were free to come and go, the was no bailiff and such. The whole thing felt more like a book reading than a capital trial. Michael’s turn was going to come till 2pm and I didn’t want to waste all day waiting. I might make another trip in the coming weeks. The Bali Nine saga will drag on for a long time and Schapelle Corby will have Australian room mates for the foreseeable future.