EXCLUSIVE: How the Bali Nine have NO IDEA they will return to Australia: Prison sources reveal how their lives behind bars have changed – and one behaved so badly he was given a tough sentence

EXCLUSIVE

The five remaining members of the Bali Nine have no idea they will return to Australia after nearly fifteen years behind bars in Balinese prisons.

Australians Matthew Norman, Martin Stephens, Si Yi Chen, Scott Rush and Michael Czugaj are all serving life sentences in Indonesia.

In 2005, she and four other Australians were arrested when they tried to smuggle 8.3kg of heroin strapped to their bodies from the holiday island.

Tan Duc Thanh Nguyen died of cancer in 2018, while Renae Lawrence was released the same year after her life sentence was reduced to 20 years on appeal.

The drug plot’s masterminds, Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, were executed by firing squad on Nusa Kambangan or ‘Prison Island’ in 2015.

Daily Mail Australia can exclusively reveal that the remaining five Australians were not informed of Anthony Albanese’s request to fly them home.

It is understood the five men are unlikely to serve life sentences in Australia but may still face some time behind bars.

Australian Matthew Norman arrives at his sentencing trial in February 2006

Si Yi Chen (pictured in 2007) was sentenced to death for attempting to smuggle heroin from Indonesia. He reportedly taught other inmates how to make silver jewelry

Pictured above L-R: Myuran Sukumaran, Scott Rush, Tach Duc Thanh Nguyen, Renae Lawrence, and below: Si Yi Chen, Matthew Norman, Michael Czugaj, Martin Stephen and Andrew Chan

Kerobokan Prison Governor Kristyo Nugroho said he has not told the two Australians held in his prison, Matthew Norman and Si Yi Chen, about the major update because he has not yet received official information from Jakarta.

“They’re healthy,” Kristyo said of the two men’s condition.

The governor of Kerobokan prison previously noted that both Norman and Chen had shown good behavior behind bars, prison sources said.

However, Scott Rush was transferred from Kerobokan Prison several years ago as a result of his bad behavior at the time.

The prison governor has recommended that both Norman and Chen be given the opportunity to apply for their life sentences each year in recognition of their efforts toward rehabilitation for themselves and other inmates.

Norman teaches English and tries to print T-shirts, while Chen teaches other inmates how to make silver jewelry.

Meanwhile, Rush spent time in Karangasem Prison before being transferred to the relatively new high-security Bangli Narcotic Prison after the Mount Agung volcano erupted at least five times in 2017.

All inmates from Karangasem Prison were transferred to various prisons in Bali, including Rush, during the eruption.

Rush – whose death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment in 2011 – reportedly plays tennis every day in prison and is an active member of the prison church.

Renae Lawrence (pictured behind bars in 2005) is the only Bali Nine member to be released back into society, but has struggled to find normality

Rush (pictured, aged 19 in 2005) reportedly plays tennis every day at Bangli Narcotic Prison, where he has become an active member of the prison church

In December 2019, Rush (pictured) pledged to become an anti-drug activist in an emotional letter, calling for his life sentence to be reduced

In December 2019, Rush pledged to become an anti-drug activist in an emotional letter advocating for his life sentence to be reduced.

“I sincerely apologize to the government and citizens of Indonesia for the shameful impact my action has caused on the country of Indonesia and its people,” the letter said.

The Queenslander said he would like to become an ‘anti-drug ambassador’ to make a positive contribution to society.

The impassioned letter came after photos were leaked in 2014 showing Rush smoking crack cocaine in Kerobokan prison.

Meanwhile, Lawrence, the only Bali Nine member to be released back into society, said she had struggled to find normality.

She had previously argued for reduced sentences for the remaining five inmates, saying remaining behind bars “was like a death sentence.”

“We all did something stupid, we all regret it, but everyone deserves a second chance,” Lawrence said in February 2020. “If this doesn’t happen, they will have no hope, they will lose hope and the end will be . be devastating.”

The arrest of the Bali Nine caused widespread controversy because the tip-off that they were carrying drugs came from the Australian Federal Police, who could have landed them in Australia where they would not have faced the death penalty.

On Friday, Coordinating Minister for Legal Affairs, Human Rights, Immigration and Corrections Yusril Ihza Mahendra told The Weekend that Australian Anthony Albanese had requested the detainees be transferred to Australia.

“The President of Indonesia responded that they are currently assessing and processing the case, and this is expected to happen in December,” he said.

He added that Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke had previously requested that “Australian citizens convicted of drug offenses and serving sentences in various prisons can be transferred to Australia.”