3 Answers

She's not free yet.......

Foreign Minister Bob Carr has denied claims that a deal has been struck to bring Schapelle Corby home early in return for freeing young Indonesian people smugglers held in Australian jails.

Corby will be free much sooner than expected after Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono approved a five-year cut to her original 20-year sentence.

Combined with maximum time off for good behaviour, Corby would be released in mid-2015, but she could be released earlier based on the recommendation of justice department officials.

Indonesia's minister for the state secretriat, Sudi Silalahi, said Mr Yudhoyono cut Corby's prison term on humanitarian grounds.

But he also described the decision is also part of a reciprocal arrangement with Australia, which has already returned some young Indonesians accused of crewing asylum seeker boats.

"It's not just a promise. Many have been followed through and they've already returned," he said.

Indonesia's law and human rights minister, Amir Syamsudin, said the cut to Corby's prison term should encourage Australia to release more young Indonesians held on people smuggling charges.

Earlier this month the Federal Government announced a review of more than 20 cases of Indonesian people smugglers who were convicted as adults but who may be children.

Three young Indonesian men were released from a West Australian prison last week, after there was sufficient doubt that they were under 18 years of age when they were caught.

The Attorney-General's Department is continuing to review a further 22 cases.

But Senator Carr has denied any deal has been done.

"The decision about minors in Australian jails was made because of the merits of the case," he said.

"It was a very strong case made by Indonesian government people, most recently when the foreign minister of Indonesia met me in March.

"But the two things aren't linked."

Senator Carr could not say when Corby would be released.

"Any argument about parole would be something for Ms Corby's legal representatives to lodge, an earlier release would depend on remissions," he said.

"The Australian Government has consistently supported Ms Corby's application for clemency on humanitarian grounds."

A letter from Mr Yudhoyono has been delivered to Denpasar court confirming the five-year sentence cut, but Corby has yet to see the letter because it must first be sent to the local prosecutor.

Corby, from the Gold Coast, was arrested at Bali's international airport in October 2004 attempting to import more than four kilograms of marijuana in her boogie board bag.

In a case that captivated public attention in Australia, she claimed she did not own the drugs and had been set up.

But she was sentenced to 20 years in prison and lost all of her appeals.

She has been held at Bali's Kerobokan prison ever since.

After Corby asked Indonesia's president for clemency in 2010, a supreme court judge advised him to grant a five-year sentence cut.

Me too KOTF.8 Years is plenty.

Thanks Colleen for the history.The family is hoping for a release as early as July but even with the reductions she has been granted she still has 5 years to serve.

The troube with Bali is it's too bloody close to Australia.There have been many harsh sentences handed to Australians for drug offences over the years.Even hangings!

I knew all this before I answered Colleen, the girls done her time in my opinion!

I have heard thru the Gold Coast grapevine that her parents fish & chip shop is "Drug Central".As I have said,she is not all that innocent & why would you take a boogy board to bali? You could buy one there for next to nothing.