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| Eight of the Bali Nine were killed last night |
As they walked to face the firing squad on an
Indonesian prison island, eight condemned drug traffickers defiantly sang
praise to God, witnesses said, while in a town across the water a group of
tearful supporters was also uniting in song.
The convicts ― two from Australia, one from Brazil,
four from Africa and one Indonesian ― made the long journey from their prison
to clearings on a prison island to meet their fate early today.
But rather than bow their heads in defeat and
resignation, the convicts all reportedly refused blindfolds and raised their
voices in song, including a rendition of “Amazing Grace”, until the gunfire
from the firing squads rang out.
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| A chilling re-enactment of the execution |
Across the water in the town of Cilacap, the final
crossing point for inmates destined for death on the high-security
Nusakambangan island, a small band of mourners held a candlelight vigil, and
also sang “Amazing Grace”.
The haunting sounds filled the night sky, drowning out
the sobs of those too distressed to contemplate what was taking place in the
jungle-clad hills of the prison island.
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| Chan and Sukumaran sang Amazing Grace, along with the six other condemned men, before the shots were fired |
When Bali Nine duo Myuran Sukumaran and
Andrew Chan were executed, they died happy with a smile upon their faces, an
Indonesian undertaker claimed.
The Australians, who were found guilty of
attempting to smuggle 8.3 kilograms of heroin into Sydney from Bali in 2005,
were shot through the heart at about 12.30am local time on Wednesday.
Undertaker Suhendro Putro, 62, who was on
Nusakambangan Island in Indonesia when the executions were carried out, said
Chan, 31, and Sukumaran, 34, were at peace when they were killed.
'They had a smile on their face and they
had a look of happiness,' he told Daily Mail Australia through a translator.
'I think the reason why they were happy
was because the pastor blessed them and brought them peace before their
deaths.'
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| Undertaker Suhendro Putro was charged with organising the eight coffins for the executed men |
Before
they were executed, the pair were granted their final wish to see their
spiritual leaders Christine Buckingham and David Sopor.
One of the condemned men, Nigerian gospel
singer Okwudili Ayotanze, was confident right until the end that
he was going to be taken off the execution list due to his pending case in the
Administrative Court.
Friends and those who
knew him for more than 10 years in prison were dismayed his case had been left
to the 11h hour.
They believed
that, if the court process had started earlier, Ayotanze's life
could have been saved.
A friend close to
Ayotanze said he never stopped helping other prisoners. He would make sure
everyone would come out of their cells and attend Mass.
"He was basically
the Nigerian version of Andrew Chan," he said.
"He was a good
person. I will really feel the loss."
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| Okwudili Ayotanze is a charismatic gospel singer who has released albums with titles such as "Never be afraid" |
No family members of either Bali Nine member were present on the
island while the executions were carried out.
Instead they stayed at the hotel to await
the heartbreaking news from Consul-General in Bali Majell Hind who was tasked
with delivering confirmation their loved ones had died.
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| A police car escorts an ambulance carrying the coffin of one of eight executed drug convicts |
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| A coffin bearing the body of Indonesian drug convict Zainal Abidin is buried in Cilacap |
Moments later, the
eight inmates were dead, executed by 12-man firing squads after being tied to
posts.
Just before dawn, their bodies returned from the
island in coffins, some covered in embroidery.
Family members could be seen crying, ushered away by
friends and supporters to begin the long journey to bury their loved ones.
Angelita Muxfeldt, the cousin of Brazilian inmate
Rodrigo Gularte, wept as she was led through the large throng of onlookers by
Father Charlie Burrows.
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| Supporters of 'Bali Nine' death row inmates, Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukamuran, gather in Martin Place in Sydney |
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| Raji Sukumaran is comforted by a family member during a press conference at the Grand Liana Hotel in Cilacap, Indonesia after visiting her son Myuran Sukumaran for the last time |
But others shed tears of joy. The family and friends
of Filipina convict Mary Jane Veloso ― who was moments away from being executed
with the others only to be granted a reprieve ― rushed to the port to embrace
and express their disbelief.
For the Chan and Sukumaran families, there was no such
solace. They had lost their sons, their brothers, after begging for their lives
to be spared at every possible opportunity.
“They asked for mercy, but there was none,” the family
said in a statement after the executions.
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| The date of the executions - April 29 - became official when a local funeral director in Cilacap was instructed to inscribe the names of those to be shot by firing squad and the date of their deaths |
The duo were killed alongside Indonesian Zainal Abidin, Brazilian
Rodrigo Gularte, Nigerians Sylvester Obiekwe Nwolise, Raheem Agbaje Salami and
Okwudili Oyatanze, and Ghanaian Martin Anderson.
Reports: Daily Mail
& AFP
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