Five of 'Bali Nine' to appeal

Five Australian men convicted of smuggling heroin and serving life in a Balinese prison have launched appeals which could see them free in 10 years if successful.

Five Australian men convicted of smuggling heroin and serving life in a Balinese prison have reportedly launched new appeals to commute their sentences

The men, members of the 'Bali Nine', could be released in 10 years if successful.

Matthew Norman, Si Yi Chen, Martin Stephens, Michael Czugaj and Tan Duc Than Nguyen have already served five years and are now eligible to appeal to reduce their sentence to 20 years, the Sydney Morning Herald reports.

Three other men arrested at the same time are still on death row. Andrew Chan, Myuran Sukumaran and Scott Rush have final appeals pending to have their death sentences quashed, with the SMH reporting Rush's was expected to be lodged first.

The men received the necessary paperwork to begin their appeals about 10 days ago, said Kerobokan prison's rehabilitation chief, Wayan Iandriana.

He added that they were likely to get a response in a time period that could be between six months and two years.

"The process needs to start from them," Mr Iandriana told the SMH. "We will assist them. We have asked them to contact their lawyers also. We will see how it goes from here."

The men will appeal to Indonesia's Supreme Court, but their applications will be formally addressed to Indonesian President, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, but are determined by the Supreme Court.

Good behaviour in jail and apparent regret for their crimes are likely to lead to their appeals being successful, but this was not guaranteed, the SMH reported.

"I have never come across where the request got denied … but it's not our authority … It's for the Supreme Court to decide," an Indonesian directorate of prisons spokesman told the SMH.