Bali Nine pair to be moved to a new prison ahead of executions

Indonesia ordered Bali Nine ringleaders Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran be moved to another prison ahead of their impending executions.

Local authorities today received a permit letter ordering the men be moved from Kerobokan prison in coming days.

A meeting will be held tomorrow where their execution date is expected to be decided.

The men will be transferred on a commercial flight as soon as possible.

Indonesia’s Attorney-General has requested the execution happen immediately, while the country’s foreign minister has told Julie Bishop the death penalty remained in place for “extraordinary crimes”.

Chan and Sukumaran were convicted of attempting to smuggle 8.3kg of heroin from Bali to Australia in 2005.

The development comes as both sides of Australian politics made heartfelt pleas for the pair's lives to be spared. 

Ms Bishop told of an "excruciating" meeting she had with the families of the death-row accused.

"They told me how it was virtually impossible to be strong for each other," Ms Bishop told parliament today.

"How could anyone be failed to be moved?"

Her Opposition counterpart Tanya Plibersek joined her in calling for clemency, telling the house she had a unique perspective into their plight. 

“I have a particular view about remorse and redemption – in 1988 my husband left prison after being convicted and sentenced to a very similar crime … and he’s spent the rest of his life making amends for his crime,” she said.

Ms Plibersek's husband, Michael Coutts-Trotter, was jailed in 1986 at age 21 for conspiracy to import narcotics.