Ani Anggraeni spent nearly 15 years in prison for drug trafficking before her death sentence was commuted and she was later pardoned
3-MIN READ3-MIN ListenIman Muttaqin YusofPublished: 12:49pm, 3 Apr 2026An Indonesian woman who spent nearly 15 years on death row in a Malaysian prison for drug trafficking has returned home after receiving clemency, in a case rights groups say highlights the exploitation of poor migrant women in cross-border drug operations.Ani Anggraeni, also known as Asih, boarded a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Jakarta late on Thursday after being freed from custody.
In a video message shared with This Week in Asia while en route, the 66-year-old said she was still struggling to process her release.
“I feel like it’s unreal, but it’s real,” she said. “I don’t know what to say. I can only be grateful to return to Indonesia and meet my family. Thank you very much for helping me.”
The grandmother of four added that she was “nervous [but] eager to get home”.