Greens call for new safeguards to protect against the death penalty

Greens Leader Christine Milne has proposed further actions in response to the Bali Nine executions and says the Australian Parliament must demonstrate its cross-party opposition to the death penalty with better safeguards to protect Australian citizens from state-sanctioned execution overseas.

"What happened to Myuran Sukumaran, Andrew Chan and other Australians before them must not happen again. We have a responsibility to do all we can to oppose the death penalty and protect people from it, wherever it exists," said Senator Milne.

"Changes have been made to the way Australia does cooperative policing with Indonesia, but the situation with the Bali Nine could still be repeated.

"The role of the AFP in this case should not be forgotten. Those men should have been arrested in Australia, not Indonesia, to protect them from a punishment the entire parliament condemns.

"The state-sanctioned killing of these two Australians was a travesty of justice - delivered in spite of their personal remorse and rehabilitation, and in spite of many unanswered questions still before the Indonesian courts.

"As legislators we have a responsibility to do more than add our voices to a sad chorus - we must review, regulate and legislate to protect people," Senator Milne concluded.

The Greens are proposing the following further actions:

-Suspend the credentials of the Indonesian Ambassador in Australia until the consultations have been made with the Australian Ambassador from Jakarta.
-Campaign for an end to the death penalty wherever it is, raising the issue in all Australia's diplomatic representations to the more than 100 countries that still practice it.
-Secure an international investigation into the alleged interference in the judicial system that resulted in the death penalty being imposed.
-Cease collaborating with Indonesian drug authorities until Indonesia stops executing drug smugglers of any nationality.
-A full independent investigation into the role of the AFP and ASIO in the information sharing with Indonesia that led to the executions.