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150,000 sign Bali Nine petition

Thousands of people have added their names to a campaign to save imprisoned Australian drug smugglers Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran from an Indonesian firing squad.

More than 150,000 people had signed the Mercy Campaign petition begging Indonesia to spare the lives of Chan and Sukumaran as of Thursday – an increase of more than 130,000 signatures in less than a month.

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As Australia’s Foreign Minister Julie Bishop made an emotional plea in federal parliament on Thursday for Chan and Sukumaran to be saved from the death penalty, organisers behind the Mercy Campaign petition confirmed the huge increase in public support for the two men.

The petition asking Indonesian President Joko Widodo to show the men clemency has gathered more than 150,000 signatures, lawyer and campaign co-founder Matthew Goldberg told AAP.

Less than a month ago there were around 23,000 names signed in support of the pair across two petitions.

Mr Goldberg urged more people to sign the petition asking for mercy.

“The campaign isn’t coming to an end. We are pressing on for more support, more numbers and more commitment to the movement for mercy,” he said.

Mr Goldberg said plans were being made to present the petition to Indonesian authorities.

Ms Bishop made a last ditch plea after Indonesia’s confirmation that the two men will be executed this month for their part in the so-called Bali Nine heroin-smuggling plan 10 years ago.

“This motion goes to the heart of what we believe will be a grave injustice against two Australian citizens facing execution in Indonesia,” she told parliament on Thursday.

“Without doubt, Andrew and Myuran need to pay for their crimes with lengthy jail sentences but they should not need to pay with their lives.”

– AAP

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