Schapelle Corby- Free At Last

February 9, 2014

A famous baseball player once said: It ain't over till the fat lady sings. Well, she sang, and the ball-game is over. Schapelle Corby walked out of her Bali prison today a free woman- subject to the conditions of her parole. She will remain on the island of Bali as part of those conditions until 2017, and will reportedly be under the care of her sister Mercedes. There is just one problem.

On her release from prison she was set upon by a large pack of reporters, who were tripping over each other in the hopes of getting a photo of Corby. It reminded me of the media frenzy of the Corby trials years ago. Schapelle it seems is once again at the mercy of the media. Hopefully her family can insulate her from the press, and give her some time to adjust to life on the outside. However, hiding out on a small island is easier said than done. It is quite possible she will make herself available to the media sometime up the road, but in the meantime- the media should give her some time to get her bearing, and have the good manners to stay the hell away from her.

Congratulations to Schapelle- hers and the prayers of her many supporters have been answered. Long overdue, but better late than never.

Schapelle Corby Waits For Parole Hearing Results

February 4, 2014

It's been just about 1 year since I posted that parole for Schapelle Corby does not look like it will happen. Well things change. There have been some great developments since then- including Corby being cleared by immigration, and news of a parole hearing behind closed doors. Schapelle's supporters are hoping she is released very soon, and that could be just a matter of days away. How the parole hearing went has not been made public, but it's just a matter of time- hopefully a very short time, to see if Corby makes it to freedom.

If granted parole, Schapelle would have to stay in Bali and live with her sister who is a resident there. To say the least, her release is long overdue. If released on parole she will have served about 9 years of her sentence. Hopefully she will be set free very soon. I wish her the best of luck on this.

Schapelle Corby Burned Again

February 2, 2013

Well it seems like Indonesia just doesn't want to let that girl go. They're hanging on to Schapelle Corby like she was some kind of national treasure. Parole for Corby now seems like a dead issue, thanks to a recent Indonesian law that states a convict "Corruptors" must become a 'justice collaborator' and help investigators discover others involved in the crime one is convicted of. In short, that means you have to 'rat out' everyone who may have been involved in your crime, in order to be paroled. And  according to Justice minister Amir Syamsuddin, Corby hasn't done that yet.

There is just one problem with the above as I see it- What if Schapelle Corby is not guilty to begin with? Who then can she put the finger on? As the Indonesian authorities well know, Corby has proclaimed her innocence for the last 8 years. Now I'm not saying that the new law was put into affect simply to confound Schapelle's chances for parole...but it does make me wonder.

Maybe it's just me, but Indonesia seems really determined to keep this girl locked up on the island of Bali for as long as they can. Granted, the Indonesian president did cut 5 years off her sentence, but considering that the sentence of 20 years for pot smuggling was insanely excessive to begin with- that's not a big deal. Twenty years for pot smuggling makes the sentence of the Russian punk band Pussy Riot for a political protest in a Moscow church, seem like an act of mercy.

Serving over 8 years so far is obviously not enough time for Corby though. A woman with no criminal record, and with ample evidence showing she probably didn't commit the crime anyway, it's just a very sad overkill. Considering the fact that this young woman has serious mental health issues now, I don't think trying to make an example of her puts Indonesia in a good light. And it doesn't make Australia look too slick either.

It seems Australia is content to leave Corby to her fate. Despite the fact that half the country thinks she's guilty for the most ridiculous reasons, most people in Australia think she has done more than enough time and should be released. However, at the present time it doesn't look like release for Corby is possible, thanks to new restrictions on foreigners getting parole in Indonesia. So what, if anything, is Australia going to do now about Schapelle Corby? Well, in the past they have done just about nothing, but hopefully that can change. Why isn't there anymore talk of an exchange of prisoners? You know, like the Aussies give up ten Indonesian people smugglers, and get Corby in return. Is that not possible? Of course it is. The Australian government has claimed that it is doing everything they can for Schapelle Corby. Really? It doesn't look like it. Has Australia offered an exchange of prisoners- have they even considered that option? It seems clear at this point in time that Indonesia is going to make Corby do her full sentence, unless the Australian government makes some kind of serious effort to bring this woman home. Make an official offer to the Indonesians for a prisoner exchange, and for once, forget the excuses and screw the politics. Who knows, despite all the apathetic Australians and hardline Indonesians, you just might save what's left of Schapelle Corby's life.

Indonesian Anti-Drug Group's Ridiculous Stance Against Schapelle Corby

June 29, 2012
It seems Schapelle Corby can't get an even break. Since her 5 year sentence reduction by the president of Indonesia recently, a so-called anti-drug group has taken the president to court claiming the clemency  reduction was somehow illegal. Wow! And all this time I thought that those sign carrying demonstrators spouting "Death To Drug Dealers" were actually employed by the Indonesian government. Who knew?

If they are in fact a 'real' Indonesian anti-drug faction with sincere motives- why oh why are they trying to single out Schapelle Corby as if she were truly the 'Ganja Queen', and somehow a threat to the stability of Indonesia? It's simply ridiculous. Anyone who knows the score about drugs in Indonesia knows that the vast majority of the drugs there are 'home grown'. Why pick on an Australian who had a sentence reduction due to medical/mental problems. A deduction that was approved by the Indonesian Justice Dept.

Drugs are all over the place in Indonesia, and as far as Cannabis goes Indonesia is one of the world's leading producers. The weed in Indonesia didn't get there from Australia- it's a local crop and an abundant one. According to a recent United Nations World Drug Report, Indonesia is one of the top countries for the amount of Cannabis seized by it's government/police. And it's home grown- no Australian or Western imports needed. This is not just my opinion- it's a fact the Indonesian government has admitted to. In last year's United Nations World Drug Report it states on p.196:

(Discussing the period 2003-2007) "Indonesia assessed that 99 percent of Cannabis herb on it's territory originated in Indonesia itself."

With that thought in mind- why is this misguided Indonesian anti-drug group only singling out non-Indonesians? Is this group really anti-drug? Or are they simply anti-Australian? They shouted- "Death to Corby" "Death to the Bali Nine". Schapelle Corby is not a threat to Indonesia- In fact she is an innocent scapegoat. It's ridiculous- the hypocrisy. If you really want to do something about the cannabis problem in Indonesia, don't point your finger at the Australians- who pump your country full of money as tourists. To find the guilty parties, look in your own backyard.

Schapelle Corby Freedom Forum: And God Said: Let There Be Light - But Not In Australia

May 9, 2012 - If you mention the Schapelle Corby case to the average person in Australia, chances are you will get a response that paints her guilty. If you ask those same people why they believe that, they will tell you about the news stories, the 'expose' on her family, or perhaps even mention a recent book which all 'prove' her guilty. (Well, I won't mention the title of that book but it should have been called "The Dead Guy Did It") Now with some of these people you can tell right off you are talking to a rock. Look closely at them and you will see- the lights are on, but nobody's home; compliments of the local state run media, and poker-faced politicians. While some of these people will tell you they are well 'informed', others would say they have simply been brainwashed.

 In any case, it appears that this affliction is fairly common in Australia. I call it an affliction because, well, it is. It's called ignorance. Ignorance of the real facts, and content to believe a lie. Some people forget that in order to be "well informed" you need to double check your 'facts' and get your information from a variety of sources. Anyone who has done that, knows that Schapelle Corby is innocent. If all you want to believe is what the local state controlled media tells you and a recent 'book of fables', good luck on that- rock on. However, if you are up for some documented facts on this case that is going to 'turn your lights on', then I suggest you watch an expose of this case from expendable.tv (or click on the video at the top right under Schapelle Corby videos on this forum).

Now with that said, I will tell you truthfully I have nothing against the Australian people. Some people might think that an American has no business telling Aussies what to believe. Well, sorry, but someone has to, and there are also plenty of Australians who have been trying to 'turn the lights on' in Australia for some time now. In case some of you are not aware- the Schapelle Corby case is pretty much a global thing now, and nationality is beside the point. Still, it is the Australian people who are the key to clearing up this whole mess. It's your government, and Schapelle Corby is one of your own. Are you just going to sit back and let her die in that Indonesian snake pit?

Well contrary to the title of this post- we all know the sun still shines Down Under; Not that it does   Schapelle Corby much good considering how 'in the dark' the average person is concerning this case. It isn't hard to find the truth if you are really looking for it, it's out there and it's free. Until the people in Schapelle Corby's own country come together on this thing and make a stand, until then, as far as I'm concerned- the lights are out in Australia.

Who Is Schapelle Corby and Why Should I Care?

Schapelle Corby is a 34 year old Australian woman who has been imprisoned on the island of Bali since 2004. In October of that year she was arrested by Bali customs agents when it was discovered there was over 9 pounds of marijuana in a large 'boogie-board' bag she had brought with her from Australia. She claimed at the time that the bag was hers but had no knowledge of the marijuana being in her bag. She was arrested and charged with attempting to smuggle the drug into Bali. The following year (2005) she was convicted by an Indonesian court and sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Corby has always maintained that the marijuana was not hers and that it must have been planted in her bag without her knowledge. Although that claim may appear a bit lame to some people- it should be taken into consideration that such things do happen. Unsuspecting travelers have been used before by drug dealers to get their goods through customs and then retrieve the drugs later when it is safe to do so. It should be pointed out that the Indonesian court did not 'prove' that Corby was responsible for the marijuana. She was convicted solely on the fact that it was found in a bag belonging to her, and no evidence could be presented that 'proved' the marijuana was planted by someone else. As they say in the U.S. : Possession in 9/10th of the law.

The main purpose of this forum however, is not to prove the innocence or guilt of Schapelle Corby (although I am sure attempts will be forthcoming). Rather, it is the fact that her sentence was so harsh, considering Corby was not a known drug dealer and had no prior convictions in Bali or Australia. Also there is ample evidence that Schapelle Corby's mental and emotional health has been declining for the last several years in prison. She was hospitalized for severe depression in 2008 and 2009, and has been on anti-depressants and anti-psychotic drugs for some time now. A prison sentence is never meant to destroy a person, yet some people decline rapidly in such an environment, with some eventually losing their grip on reality.

In 2010 Corby appealed to the president of Indonesia for clemency. The Indonesian Justice and Human Rights Ministry also recommended that Schapelle Corby be granted clemency on humanitarian grounds. This is now in the hands of the Indonesian president who has the final say in the matter. It is my hope that Dr. Yudhoyono will show mercy to Schapelle Corby (who is now in declining health) and grant her outright release, or at the very least, greatly reduce her sentence. After Corby serving 8 years in a foreign prison, this is not a 'get out of jail free' card, 8 years is not a drop in the bucket; releasing her is simply the humanitarian thing to do.


One should remember that if Schapelle Corby is indeed innocent, then this is truly a nightmare that needs to be remedied. It is something that can happen to any traveler- anywhere in the world, and in the future it may be you, or may be me. Yet innocence or guilt aside- Corby's situation is one that calls for compassion. Those with empathy need no proof of this, and the cold-hearted will always turn away with indifference.