The mass execution cements the hard line on enforcing the death penalty adopted by Indonesian President Joko Widodo as part of his war on drugs, an approach criticized by the United Nations as applying double-standards.
Four Nigerians, two Australians, a Brazilian and an Indonesian were executed in a forest clearing near the prison, as family members held a candle-light vigil within earshot of the firing range.
"All eight were executed at the same second at 0035 hours," Indonesian Attorney General H.M. Prasetyo told reporters in Calicap, off the prison island of Nusakambangan in Central Java.
A ninth prisoner from the Philippines was spared at the last minute, apparently as part of a deal between Jakarta and Manila to seek more information and go after drug syndicates operating in the region.
Both Australia and Brazil oppose capital punishment and have railed against Widodo's move to step up the pace of executions, after a five-year moratorium, since coming to office last July.
Australia said it was recalling its ambassador to Jakarta, a step already taken by Brazil over the execution of another prisoner in January. The south American country is now considering what further action it will take.
Indonesia shrugged off Australia's diplomatic response. "It is just for a while, a month or two, to signify protest," Vice President Jusuf Kalla told reporters.
Australia has deep commercial and political ties with its big neighbor, but has said the executions would not impact trade relations. Brazil, too, will be wary of jeopardizing valuable defense contracts.
Widodo's steadfastness on the executions, which has strong public support at home, stands in contrast to a series of policy flip-flops since he took office six months ago. Palace insiders and government officials portray him as sometimes out of his depth and struggling to get around entrenched vested interests.
NO BLINDFOLDS
Charlie Burrows, religious counselor to the Brazilian convict who was with the prisoners before their execution, said all eight had refused blindfolds before they were shot.
Their families lit candles as they watched the procession of cars taking the prisoners to the execution site, the Sydney Morning Herald reported, adding many became hysterical when gunshots rang out a short time later.
"The good thing is all prisoners were executed together while praying and singing. Before that they hugged each other, saying goodbye," Christina Widiantarti, a lawyer for the Brazilian convict and a witness to the execution, said.
Rupert Colville, U.N. human rights spokesman in Geneva, criticized Jakarta's use of the death penalty.
"Indonesia appeals for clemency when its own nationals face execution in other countries, so it is incomprehensible why it absolutely refuses to grant clemency for lesser crimes on its own territory," he said.
MILITARY DEAL AT RISK
Recalling an ambassador is a step rarely taken by Australia, and never previously taken over a prisoner execution.
"We respect Indonesia's sovereignty but we do deplore what's been done and this cannot be simply business as usual," Prime Minister Tony Abbott told reporters in Canberra.
"I want to stress that this is a very important relationship between Australia and Indonesia but it has suffered as a result of what's been done over the last few hours."
But he cautioned against a trade or tourism backlash.
While critical, Brazil, which has a $5 billion trade surplus with Southeast Asia's biggest economy, will also be wary of losing a major military export deal to Indonesia over the executions row.
The Brazilian government said in a statement it was shocked by the news, which marked the second execution of a Brazilian in Indonesia in three months despite President Dilma Rousseff’s personal humanitarian appeals.
Brazil’s foreign ministry said it was evaluating ties with Indonesia before deciding what action to take.
Indonesia said earlier it was reviewing the purchase of a second batch of Brazil-made Embraer EMB-314 Super Tucano aircraft and an order for multiple rocket launch systems after Brazil refused to allow Indonesia's new ambassador to take part in a credentials ceremony.
In Manila, Jose Rene Almendras, secretary to the Philippine cabinet, told reporters that the case against the Filipina took a dramatic turn just hours before her scheduled execution when a woman involved in the affair went to police in the Philippines.
Almendras said the two countries had a common interest in going after the bigger syndicates.
"I think both sides, both legal sides, have decided let's pursue this legal angle of not just hitting a mere courier and trying to go to the bigger root of the problem," he said.
Bali Nine families a step closer to bringing the bodies of their loved ones home
April 29, 2015: No mercy for Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, executed in the dead of night for drug crimes committed a decade ago.
The bodies of executed Bali Nine members Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan have arrived in Jakarta after being transported from Cilacap by ambulance.
Families of the pair are due to arrive in Jakarta by tomorrow morning, where they will meet at a Jakarta morgue to collect the bodies of Chan and Sukumaran before arranging repatriation to Australia.
The sad reunion would be the conclusion of a 10-hour convoy of morticians, diplomats and family members travelling from the Indonesian port of Cilacap to the Indonesian capital.
Family and friends were seen hugging in the doorway of their Cilacap hotel overnight before making the long journey to Jakarta.
Friends and family of the executed Bali Nine members depart their hotel in Cilicap, en route to Jakarta where repatriation arrangements are being made for the bodies. (9NEWS)
April 29, 2015: Bob Myers tipped off the Australian Federal Police about the Bali Nine, but instead of detaining the syndicate the AFP let the group be arrested by their Indonesian counterparts.
Earlier, the lawyer who tipped off the Australian Federal Police to the Bali Nine's plans in an effort to prevent a family friend from committing a crime said the AFP could have prevented Sukumaran and Chan's "barbaric" deaths.
Bob Myers, a friend of Bali Nine member Scott Rush's father, said instead of detaining the group in Australia, the AFP chose to pass the information on to their Indonesian counterparts.
"In my view it should never, ever, ever have happened, and I think there were ways of preventing it over the last 10 years," he said.
The bodies of the executed inmates arrive in Cilacap. (9NEWS)
April 29, 2015: Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Foreign Minister Julie Bishop have announced they will recall Australia’s ambassador to Indonesia following the executions of Bali Nine drug smugglers Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran.
After almost 10 years, multiple appeals and a change of leadership in Indonesia, the Bali Nine pair Andrew Chan
and Myuran Sukumaran have been executed by a firing squad.
Their case has sparked public outcry in Australia and strained diplomatic relations with Indonesia, but the country
ultimately stood firm on its promise to put the convicted drug smugglers to death.
ultimately stood firm on its promise to put the convicted drug smugglers to death.
The Australian pair was executed at 12.25am (3.25am AEST), along with six other death row
inmates on the infamous "death island" Nusa Kambangan.
inmates on the infamous "death island" Nusa Kambangan.
Local Catholic priest Charlie Burrows, who acted as spiritual adviser to Brazilian inmate Rodrigo Gularte, said none of the eight prisoners wore blindfolds as they faced their executioners.
Indonesian news source detik.com quoted Indonesian Attorney General Tony Spontana as saying the eight prisoners were “shot at 00.35 and died at 01.02".
He did not elaborate if it took that long for the prisoners to die or if authorities took 27 minutes to verify that all eight men were dead.
Reporters and family members at Cilacap, the port town across the water from Nusa Kambangan, reported hearing bangs echo from the island.
After the men were declared dead their bodies were washed, the bullets removed from their hearts and their wounds stitched up, The Sydney Morning Herald reports.
The chosen pastors of Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran are mobbed by media as they are driven to Cilacap. (9NEWS)
Numerous Indonesians joined with Australians for a candle-lit vigil at the dock in protest to the executions. (9NEWS)
Prayers were then said over the bodies before they were taken to a mortuary to be dressed and placed in a coffin.
Chan and Sukumaran's deaths bring 10 years of unsuccessful appeals to a close, including as last ditch bid to challenge the sentence at a constitutional level.
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said at a media conference in Canberra that despite the Australian ambassador being withdrawn from Indonesia, all arrangements to repatriate the body would be honoured before the ambassador's departure.
Myuran Sukumaran's mother has pleaded with Indonesia not to execute her "healthy, beautiful" son.
Ahead of their scheduled execution, these are the final steps in the Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan's stories. (9NEWS)
Ahead of their scheduled execution, these are the final steps in the Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan's stories. (9NEWS)
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"Our consular officials will arrange for the bodies to be repatriated to Australia and to ensure that they are treated with appropriate dignity," she said.
The consul general Majel Hind will formally identify the bodies.
Ms Hind, Chan and Sukumaran's lawyer Julian McMahon, and their spiritual guides Christie Buckingham and David Soper left the port shortly after the convoy of ambulances and police.
Australian politicians and mercy campaigners have condemned the execution and friends in Australia maintained their support for the pair, with vigils held across the country.
The executions of Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran have been widely condemned in the Australian media, with Brisbane’s Courier Mail (pictured) taking a particularly hard stance against Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo.
Click through to see the front pages around the country this morning. (9NEWS)
Click through to see the front pages around the country this morning. (9NEWS)
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The I Stand For Mercy campaign organised a public vigil in Sydney's Martin Place and the #istandformnercy Twitter hashtag saw politicians, entertainment figures and people from all walks of life tweet their opposition to the death penalty.
"RIP Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran - a tragic loss of human life on a very sad day," Federal Opposition Transport and Infrastructure spokesman Anthony Albanese tweeted.
Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has warned of possible consequences against Indonesia following the executions.
Federal Opposition Leader Bill Shorten and his deputy Tanya Plibersek released a joint statement this morning, condemning the executions.
“Our best hopes have been dashed and our worst fears realised,” the statement read.
“We extend our heartfelt condolences to all who mourn the loss of Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran. A decade ago, these two young men made a dreadful mistake (and) by all accounts they spent every minute since seeking to mend their ways and steer others on the road to redemption.
April 28, 2015: Watch the full press conference with the families of Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran here.
“Proof the justice system could reforms wrongdoers, not just punish wrongdoing.”
Labor has labelled the executions a “terrible crime” and called for an international renewal to rid the world of the death penalty.
“Indonesia’s actions demand a strong response from the Australian government,” the statement read.
“As a close friend and neighbour of Indonesia, Australia is deeply hurt that our pleas for mercy were ignored.”
Earlier Australia joined with France and the European Union to issue a final plea for clemency to Indonesian President Joko Widodo.
A joint statement was issued by the three governments urging Mr Widodo to call off the planned executions of all seven detainees.
"It is not too late to change your mind," the statement read.
April 28, 2015: Friends and family of Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan have arrived to say their last goodbyes to the pair in emotional scenes in Bali.
Tributes have started to flow after an Indonesian firing squad ended the lives of Bali Nine pair Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan.
Vigils in Indonesia and Australia were held in the hours before the execution took place around 3.25am AEST, on Wednesday April 29.
A small candle tribute flickered outside the Australian family home of Andrew Chan.
Click through the gallery to see the vigils and tributes after the pair’s 10 years on death row ended in their execution.
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"Forgiveness and rehabilitation are fundamental to the Indonesian judicial system as well as in our system."
The statement urged Indonesia to consider its international reputation, reminding Mr Widodo of his country's efforts to have its own citizens released from death row in other countries.
"The execution will not give deterrent effect to drug trafficking or stop the other from becoming victims will abuse drugs," the statement read.
"To execute these prisoners now will not achieve anything."
Convicted Bali Nine drug smuggler Myuran Sukumaran has been executed. During his 10 years
on death row he has become an artist, and his final paintings give an insight into the grim situation he faced -
including one self portrait showing him shot through the heart.
on death row he has become an artist, and his final paintings give an insight into the grim situation he faced -
including one self portrait showing him shot through the heart.
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