Two Australian drug smugglers on death row in Indonesia could have their executions delayed for months, while other inmates pursue lengthy court appeals.
Australian's Myuran Sukumaran, left, and Andrew Chan are on death row in Indonesia. Photo: AFP
Indonesian attorney-general Muhammad Prasetyo has told Indonesia's respected journalism group Tempo the next round of executions will be carried out once all of the condemned inmates have finished their appeals.
That is a process that could take months to resolve.
Earlier this week Mr Prasetyo left open the option of dividing up the group of 11 as individual appeals are completed.
However, his latest comments mean that the Australians, Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, could be spared from the firing squad for months, while other foreigners on death row beside them pursue judicial reviews of their cases.
Chan and Sukumaran's lawyers will return to a Jakarta court on Thursday to challenge their death sentences.
The two members of the Bali Nine drug smuggling group are attempting to challenge president Joko Widodo's decision to deny clemency to any drug smugglers, without exception.
A hearing of the pair's latest appeal in the State Administrative Court was adjourned this week because the president did not have sufficient legal representation.
The Australian Government and officials have made repeated calls for Mr Widodo to grant clemency to the Australians.
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has written to her Indonesian counterpart offering to pay the cost of life imprisonment in Indonesia, should their lives be spared.
"I have put forward a number of proposals ... I put forward an idea that we should get our officials to discuss ways to resolve what is becoming a very difficult issue for both our nations," she said.
But Ms Bishop said she was yet to receive a response to the request.
Dr Ibrahim Abu Mohamed, the Grand Mufti of Australia, this week visited Jakarta and met with Indonesia's religious affairs minister in Indonesia to make a personal plea for clemency for Chan and Sukumaran.
The men were transferred from Bali to a prison on Nusakambangan, where the executions are scheduled to take place, earlier this month.
-ABC
