Both Convicts Escape Death Sentence
Rui Viana, a young Portuguese citizen from Madeira, has been sentenced to 13 and a half years in Indonesia for drug trafficking. He is further convicted to pay €60,000 or alternatively spend an additional year in prison. Fernando Santos, the other Portuguese man involved in the case, received a longer sentence of 20 years. The case, closely followed in Portugal, raised serious concerns over the potential for a death sentence, which remains an option under Indonesian law for serious drug offenses.
Rui Viana, born in Madeira, is the younger of the two. He is the son of Rui Óscar, a former footballer. He was arrested on March 17 in the arrivals area of Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta airport. He will have traveled from Lisbon, with a stopover in Dubai. He was then caught in the Indonesian capital.
Lawyer Expresses Relief and Gratitude for Diplomatic Support
Viana’s lawyer, Miguel Matias, expressed relief at the sentencing, which he described as a “positive outcome” given the alternative. He thanked Portugal’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Indonesian Ambassador to Portugal for their support in achieving a more favorable outcome. Matias noted that their involvement was key in reducing the risk of a harsher penalty.
It was a very positive result given the perspectives and fear we had that our defendant could be sentenced to death.
Miguel Matias, lawyer of Rui Viana
Will Rui Viana be Extradited?
His lawyer stressed the need for an extradition agreement between Portugal and Indonesia, allowing Viana and his co-defendant to serve their sentences back home. He praised the support of the Portuguese Prosecutor General, who is handling a parallel case in Lisbon, and emphasized the importance of reaching an extradition deal so both men can complete their sentences under Portuguese law.
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