WHILE most Australians will be celebrating Christmas at home with family, Scott Rush will be spending it on death row in Bali.
In the lead up to Christmas, more than 250 people in Corinda Graceville Parish in Brisbane signed a petition calling for the death sentence imposed on the Bali Nine drug mule to be overturned.
Rush was 19 when he was arrested at Ngurah Rai Airport in Bali with heroin weighing 1.3 kg taped to his legs under his clothing in April 2005.
He was originally sentenced to life imprisonment last February, but this was upgraded to death by firing squad after an appeal to the Indonesian High Court.
Corinda Graceville parish priest Fr Tim Harris said at no stage had he condoned what Rush and fellow parishioner, Michael Czugaj, who was also a member of the Bali Nine, had done and neither did their parents.
However, he said he did not support the death penalty and neither did the Catholic Church.
He said he and a number of parishioners handed the petition with the 250 signatures to Rush’s parents on December 15 along with a Christmas hamper donated by parishioners.
Fr Harris said the petition was still available for signing.
