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Schapelle Corby Granted Parole

Update 1:50 a.m: Schapelle Corby has been granted parole. She could be released at any time -- as soon as the prison receives written confirmation. It most likely will be Monday. More here. Here's a live video of the press conference with translation. She will have to remain in Indonesia until 2017. This is interesting: Had she not asked for or been granted parole, she could have returned to Australia in 2015 as her sentence would have expired and there would be no requirement of supervision.

Update 1:45 am: More media confirm parole was granted at what sounds like one of the most confusing press conferences ever.

Corby has got parole. Press statement clarifies that she has "fulfilled all substantive administrative requirements". Date up to prison

Update 1:35 a.m. What he said was 1,291 cases of the 1,700 have been processed. He didn't specifically say Schapelle was one of them. But reporters say his press release says she got parole. And ABC News Australia says parole was granted. [More...]

It was quite confusing as you would have noticed. He talked about her review has been completed, but he wouldn't say himself whether or not Schapelle Corby had received parole. He said, 'I don't want to talk specifically about Schapelle', so there was confusion.

However, soon after we've been handed a press release and the press release says that Schapelle Corby's parole application has been approved, because she has fulfilled all the substantial terms as required under Indonesian law.

Update 1:30 a.m: Media backtracks.

7:25pm: Clarification: The Justice Minister's statement was not clear, but it appears that Schapelle Corby was one of the prisoners granted parole today.

Another reporter says the Minister's statement is "ambiguous."

Schapelle's parole case "has been processed" along with 1291 others. Has she got it? "I won't repeat what I've said"

Update: 1:20 a.m.: The Minister announces Schapelle Corby is one of the 1,700 approved for parole today.

"This parole is not a generosity," the Minister said...."It is a right that is regulated by the laws of the land.

"We are a dignified nation and we enforce the law and we don't look at who that person is we look at the legislation and the rights of those people...."We uphold the law.

Update: 1:00 am MT: The Justice Minister is going to make an announcement after all. Ten minutes ago he changed the location of the presser, which has reporters scrambling. He says the announcement will be in two minutes. Two minutes come and go. Media says he's toying with them. Press releases have been put at a side table.

************

12:30 a.m. The media is camped outside Kerobokan prison in Bali waiting for the announcement that Schapelle Corby has been granted parole. But Justice Minister Amir Syamsuddin now says he hasn't yet decided if he's going to grant the application, despite previously telling the media that he would make an announcement today.

"It's still under review," Amir said before lunch on Friday at the Presidential Office. "We must [consider] all the existing regulations [to determine whether or not to grant parole]."

As usual, there are contradictory reports coming from reporters at the prison.

Has anything changed? Yesterday, new opposition to Schapelle's parole was sent to Amir's office. Hopefully, he won't buckle under the pressure.

Schapelle's sister Mercedes and Mercedes' husband Wayan, left the prison a few hours ago -- without Schapelle. Australian consulate officials also visited the prison today. The announcement by Syamsuddin Amir, which was to address not just Schapelle but 1,700 other prisoners awaiting parole decisions, was originally scheduled for Friday, 1:30 pm WITA (Thursday, 10:30 pm in Denver) in Jakarta.

After they left, an official at the prison told reporters at the prison that the letter didn't arrive in Jakarta today:

"We haven't received a letter yet, so it's impossible (for the release) to happen today," he said. "I predict more progress will be made on Monday.".

If released, Schapelle will live in Kuta with Mercedes and Wayan and their children. Schapelle will be on parole until mid-2016, but has to stay under supervision in Bali another year until mid-2017.

Some live shots from the scene at the prison Friday:

My first post on the case was in early 2005. In May, 2005, I live-blogged her trial verdict. All of our 50-plus posts over the years are accessible here.

This delay is really inexcusable. Schapelle has been eligible for parole for a year and a half. The Bali Corrections Board approved her release in August, 2013.

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  • Display: Sort:
    Inexcusable and par for the course (5.00 / 1) (#1)
    by Dadler on Fri Feb 07, 2014 at 11:24:30 AM EST
    Tyrannies, of all varieties, like to toy with other people's lives, as long as they can. May she get out soon. As in now.

    WTF??? (5.00 / 1) (#2)
    by Zorba on Fri Feb 07, 2014 at 02:01:50 PM EST
    "Had she not asked for or been granted parole, she could have returned to Australia in 2015 as her sentence would have expired and there would be no requirement of supervision."

    Did anyone tell her this?
    What an incredibly messed up system.   :-(

    I wish her luck.