Mr Abbott on Tuesday confirmed he had personally lobbied Indonesian President Joko Widodo on behalf of the pair, saying he hoped evidence of genuine remorse and rehabilitation from the men might still save their lives.

Over the weekend, Indonesia executed five foreigners and an Indonesian for drug crimes, prompting Brazil and the Netherlands to withdraw their ambassadors in protest at the executions of their citizens.

Mr Joko has rejected a clemency bid from Sukumaran, while his accomplice in the heroin smuggling ring, Chan, is awaiting the outcome of his bid. There are grave fears the pair could face a firing squad within months and Sukmaran's lawyer is seeking another judicial review of his case.

On Monday, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said that "at this point" it was necessary for Australian consular officials to remain in Indonesia to argue the case for the pair.

Asked if Australia's ambassador could be recalled, Mr Abbott on Tuesday told WSFM radio in Sydney that "at the moment my job is to try to stop the executions going ahead and I don't want to pre-empt what may or may not happen afterwards".

"I think these two are well and truly reformed characters and I hope the Indonesians will accept that, acknowledge it, and act appropriately," he said.

Australia did not believe in the death penalty at home or abroad, he said, and "if any Australians are subject to it we do what we can to avert that, but in the end, Indonesia, while it is a good and close friend of Australia, it is a sovereign country, they do have their own judicial system".

"I hope that the evidence of genuine remorse, of genuine rehabilitation, means that even at this stage pleas for clemency might be accepted because in the end mercy has to be part of every justice system, including the Indonesian one," he said.

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