List of Australians imprisoned or executed abroad

This is a list of current and former Australian citizens whose detention in prisons outside of Australia or execution is noteworthy. The list includes those whose arrests and / or sentences are considered noteworthy for the following reasons,

• the prisoner was arrested and charged and / or convicted of notable crimes whilst abroad.
• the prisoner is an otherwise notable person in Australia.

Argentina

Prisoner	From	Convictions	Arrested	Release date	Notes
Stephen John Sutton	Sydney, New South Wales	Drug trafficking	4 February 2003	November 2008	Sentenced to 11 years. Released from prison in November 2008.[1]

Bulgaria

Prisoner	From	Convictions	Arrested	Release date	Notes
Jock Palfreeman	Sydney, New South Wales	Murder and Wounding	December 2007		Sentenced to 20 years' jail.[2]

Cambodia

Prisoner	From	Convictions	Arrested	Release date	Notes
Gordon Vuong	Campsie, New South Wales	Drug trafficking (heroin)	January 2005	2018	Sentenced to 13 years in May 2005.[3]

China

Prisoner	From	Convictions	Arrested	Release date	Notes
Stern Hu	Melbourne, Victoria	Stealing commercial secrets and receiving bribes	5 July 2009		Australian businessman of Chinese origin. Former Rio Tinto executive. Sentenced to 10 years' jail.[4]
Kalynda Davis	Sydney, New South Wales	No conviction	8 November 2014[5]	9 December 2014	Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop intervened and negotiated Davis' release.[6] No conviction – returned to Australia free.[7]
Henry Chhin	Sydney, New South Wales	Convicted of trying to send 270 grams of methamphetamine to Australia	May 2004		Sentenced to death in 2005. The sentence was suspended for two years. Current fate is unknown.[8]

Egypt

Prisoner	From	Convictions	Arrested	Release date	Notes
Peter Greste	Brisbane, Queensland	falsifying news	29 December 2013	1 February 2015 (deported)	Sentenced to 7 years imprisonment on 23 June 2014. Released from prison on 1 February 2015 and deported from Egypt.

Fiji

Prisoner	From	Convictions	Arrested	Release date	Notes
Thomas McCosker	Warrnambool, Victoria	Sodomy	3 April 2005	28 August 2005	Sentenced to 2 years' jail for sodomy. Conviction overturned on constitutional grounds on 26 August 2005.[9][10]

Indonesia

Prisoner	From	Convictions	Arrested	Release date	Notes
Schapelle Corby	Gold Coast, Queensland	Drug trafficking (Cannabis)	8 October 2004	10 February 2014	Sentenced in 2005 to 20 years. Sentence reduced on appeal in 2005 to 15 years. Sentence increased on further appeal in 2005 to 20 years.[11] Released from Kerobokan Prison on Monday 10 February 2014 after being granted parole on Friday 7 February 2014. Of her original 20-year sentence, Corby only served 9 years and 259 days.[12]
Andrew Chan	Enfield, New South Wales	Drug trafficking (heroin).	17 April 2005	Executed	Sentenced to death on 14 February 2006. Executed by firing squad on 29 April 2015.[13]
Si Yi Chen	Doonside, New South Wales	Drug trafficking (heroin)	17 April 2005		Sentenced to life imprisonment on 15 February 2006.[13] Sentence reduced to 20 years on 27 April 2006[14] Sentence increased to the death penalty on 6 September 2006 Sentence reduced to life imprisonment in March 2008
Michael Czugaj	Oxley, Queensland	Drug trafficking (heroin)	17 April 2005		Sentenced to life imprisonment on 14 February 2006.[13] Sentence reduced to 20 years on 27 April 2006[14] Sentence increased to life on 6 September 2006
Tan Duc Thanh Nguyen	Wellington Point, Queensland	Drug trafficking (heroin)	17 April 2005		Sentenced to life imprisonment on 15 February 2006.[13] Sentence reduced to 20 years on 27 April 2006[14] Sentence increased to the death penalty on 6 September 2006 Sentence reduced to life imprisonment in March 2008
Matthew Norman	Quakers Hill, New South Wales	Drug trafficking (heroin)	17 April 2005		Sentenced to life imprisonment on 15 February 2006.[13] Sentence reduced to 20 years on 27 April 2006[14] Sentence increased to the death penalty on 6 September 2006 Sentence reduced to life imprisonment in March 2008
Scott Rush	Chelmer, Queensland	Drug trafficking (heroin)	17 April 2005		Sentenced to life imprisonment on 13 February 2006.[13] Sentence increased to the death penalty on 6 September 2006 Sentence reduced to life imprisonment upon 11 May 2011 on appeal to the Indonesian Supreme Court.
Martin Stephens	Towradgi, New South Wales	Drug trafficking (heroin)	17 April 2005		Sentenced to life imprisonment on 14 February 2006.[13]
Myuran Sukumaran	Auburn, New South Wales	Drug trafficking (heroin)	17 April 2005	Executed	Sentenced to death on 14 February 2006. Executed by firing squad on 29 April 2015.[13]
Renae Lawrence	Newcastle, New South Wales	Drug trafficking (heroin)	17 April 2005		Sentenced to life imprisonment on 13 February 2006.[13] Sentence reduced to 20 years on 27 April 2006[14]
Michelle Leslie	Adelaide, South Australia	Possession of ecstasy tablets	21 August 2005	19 November 2005	Controversially declared herself a Muslim during her imprisonment.[15] It was alleged that some of her lawyers distributed bribes to secure her freedom.[16]
Michael Sacatides	Wentworthville, New South Wales	Drug trafficking Methamphetamine	1 October 2010		Sentenced in 2011 to 18 years in Bali's Kerobokan Jail.[17]

A prisoner exchange agreement is currently being negotiated between Australia and Indonesia.^[18]

Israel

Prisoner	From	Convictions	Arrested	Release date	Notes
Denis Michael Rohan	Sydney, New South Wales	Arson	23 August 1969	14 May 1974	Found to be insane, and hospitalized in a mental institution. Deported from Israel 14 May 1974, and reportedly died in 1995 under psychiatric care.

Italy

Prisoner	From	Convictions	Arrested	Release date	Notes
Laszlo Toth	Melbourne, Victoria	Vandalism	21 May 1972	9 February 1975	Vandalised Michelangelo's Pietà statue[19]

Kuwait

Prisoner	From	Convictions	Arrested	Release date	Notes
Tallaal Adrey	Auburn, New South Wales	*Weapons possession *Weapons trading *Ammunition possession *Ammunition trading	14 February 2005	2009	Sentenced to 4 years.[20][21]

Laos

Prisoner	From	Convictions	Arrested	Release date	Notes
Kerry and Kay Danes	Brisbane, Queensland	Destruction of Evidence, Embezzlement of State Assets, Violation of Lao Tax Regulations	23 December 2000	6 November 2001	Pardoned 6 November 2001.[22]

Malaysia

Prisoner	From	Convictions	Arrested	Release date	Notes
Kevin Barlow (Barlow also was a British Citizen) [23]	Perth, Western Australia	Drug trafficking (heroin)	9 November 1983	Executed	Executed by hanging on 7 July 1986.[24][25]
Brian Chambers	Perth, Western Australia	Drug trafficking (heroin)	9 November 1983	Executed	Executed by hanging on 7 July 1986.[24][25]
Michael McAuliffe	Sydney, New South Wales	Drug trafficking (heroin)	29 June 1985	Executed	Executed by hanging in June 1993.[26]

North Korea

Prisoner	From	Convictions	Arrested	Release date	Notes
John Short	Barmera, South Australia	Circulation of Christian literature at a Buddhist temple	16 February 2014	3 March 2014	Was originally arrested for missionary work in North Korea Short subsequently apologized on television Released 3 March 2014 and deported.

Singapore

Prisoner	From	Convictions	Arrested	Release date	Notes
Van Tuong Nguyen	Melbourne, Victoria	Drug trafficking (heroin)	12 December 2002	Executed	Executed by hanging on 2 December 2005.

South Africa (Limpopo)

Prisoner	From	Convictions	Arrested	Release date	Notes
Harry 'Breaker' Harbord Morant	Queensland, New South Wales and South Australia	War Crimes	24 October 1901	Executed	Executed by firing squad on 27 February 1902.
Peter Handcock	New South Wales	War Crimes	24 October 1901	Executed	Executed by firing squad on 27 February 1902.

Sri Lanka

Prisoner	From	Convictions	Arrested	Release date	Notes
Reg Spiers	Adelaide, South Australia	Drug trafficking (heroin)	1 December 1984	1987	Sentenced to death, acquitted on appeal.[27]

Thailand

Prisoner	From	Convictions	Arrested	Release date	Notes
Warren Fellows	Sydney, New South Wales	Drug trafficking (heroin)	11 October 1978	11 January 1990	Sentenced to life, received a pardon.[28]
Paul Hayward	Sydney, New South Wales	Drug trafficking (heroin)	11 October 1978	7 April 1989	Sentenced to 30 years, received a pardon.[28]
Nola Blake	Botany, New South Wales	Drug trafficking (heroin)	January 1987	March 1998	Originally sentenced to death, later commuted to life in prison. Received a Royal Pardon
Robert Halliwell	Sydney, New South Wales	Drug trafficking (heroin)	August 2000		Arrested with Deane-Johns whilst attempting to post heroin to Australia. Police later found another 110 grams of heroin in Halliwell's apartment. Sentenced to 31 years.[29]

A prisoner exchange agreement exists between Australia and Thailand allowing prisoner transfers.^[30]

United Kingdom

Prisoner	From	Convictions	Arrested	Release date	Notes
Rolf Harris	Bassendean, Western Australia	Indecent assault	August 2013		Sentenced to 5 years and 9 months imprisonment on 4 July 2014

United States

Prisoner	From	Convictions	Arrested	Release date	Notes
Jean-Philippe Wispelaere	Canberra, Australian Capital Territory	Espionage	15 May 1999	2015?	Former Defence Intelligence Organisation officer who sought to sell secrets to a foreign power.[31]
Mamdouh Habib	Sydney, New South Wales		5 October 2001	28 January 2005	[32]
David Hicks	Adelaide, South Australia		November 2001	1 January 2008	Prisoner of the US Government held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba on unlawful combatant charges.[33] Returned to Australia on 20 May 2007 to serve the remaining nine months of his sentence in Yatala Labour Prison, Adelaide.[34]

United Arab Emirates

Prisoner	From	Convictions	Arrested	Release date	Notes
Samandar Hout Kilani	Afghanistan / Australia	Robbery	July 2011	September 2013	3-year prison sentence in Dubai's Central Jail[35]

Vietnam

Prisoner	From	Convictions	Arrested	Release date	Notes
Pham Trung Dung	Vietnam / Australia	Drug trafficking (heroin)	May 2013		Sentenced to death on 27 June 2014[36]

See also

• Anti-Australian sentiment
• Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Australia)
• Foreign relations of Australia
• List of Australian criminals
• Use of death penalty worldwide

References

1. Stephen Sutton website. Retrieved 22 February 2006
2. , 4 March 2014
3. Australian teen jailed for 13 years over heroin, The Sydney Morning Herald, 6 May 2005
4. "Foreign Minister slams Chinese as Stern Hu gets 10-year jail sentence". Sydney Morning Herald (Australia). 30 March 2010. Retrieved 14 February 2015.
5. "From a fresh-faced high school student to a death row inmate in China". Daily Mail (United Kingdom). 4 December 2014. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
6. http://www.news.com.au/national/kalynda-davis-home-after-being-released-by-china-without-charge/story-fncynjr2-1227150017646 |accessdate=15 December 2014
7. "ice smuggling allegations, allowed to return home without charge". ABC News (Australia). 9 December 2014. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
8. "Four Australians have been put to death for drug offences overseas in recent times". SBS News article (Australia). 23 January 2015. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
9. Australian home after Fiji gay sex conviction overturned, The Sydney Morning Herald, 28 August 2005
10. Little help, no protest for Victorian jailed in Fiji, The Age, 20 August 2005
11. 'I ask for you... to find me innocent', The Age, 29 April 2005
12. http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2014/02/10/schapelle-corby-will-be-released-today-0
13. Bali Nine all lodge appeals, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 20 February 2006.
14. Some Bali nine jail terms cut ABC News Online, 27 April 2006
15. "Drug-accused model says she's a Muslim". The Australian. 29 August 2005.
16. Forbes, Mark (27 November 2005). "Lost funds add to bribe speculation". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 14 November 2007. and Forbes, Mark (17 June 2006). "Leslie's confidant lifts the veil". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 14 November 2007.
18. Govt to consult with Indonesia over death sentences, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 7.30 Report, 14 February 2006
19. Whatever happened to Laszlo Toth, the man who smashed Michelangelo's Pieta in 1972?, Guardian Unlimited, 26 February 2006
20. Australian Man in Kuwaiti Jail Says Govt Has Failed Him, Caged Prisoners, 18 May 2005
21. Foreign Prisoner Support Service, Tallaal Adrey Campaign
22. Kerry and Kay Danes pardoned in Laos, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, 6 November 2001
23. http://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/1986/jul/07/fromthearchive
24. Brian Chambers and Kevin Barlow executed in Malaysia, The Guardian, 7 July 1986.
25. They died at dawn, NineMSN, 30 November 2005
26. The toughest penalty, The Daily Telegraph, 15 February 2006
27. "Spiers has to wait for drug case sentencing". The Sydney Morning Herald. 19 January 1988. Retrieved 6 March 2015.
28. The Damage Done, Pan Macmillan Australia, 1997, ISBN 1-84018-275-X
29. Heroin addicts escape Thai death sentence, The Age, 5 July 2003
30. Asian jails not very good: Downer, The Age, 22 April 2005
31. Australian spy sentenced to jail in the U.S.
32. Australian official saw Habib tortured: report
33. Hicks' time in custody ignored by Pentagon
34. Celebrity Hicks back in lockup – National – brisbanetimes.com.au
35. Steve Pratt
36. Australian man Pham Trung Dung sentenced to death for heroin in Vietnam

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by expanding it with reliably sourced entries.