Comedian and activist Russell Brand has made an impassioned plea for clemency for the two Australians facing the death penalty in Indonesia, the latest high-profile international figure to join the campaign to save their lives.

Brand, a former heroin addict, condemned the death sentences handed to Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran for their role in a drug trafficking operation in the latest episode of his political web series The Trews, arguing the men had clearly been rehabilitated in prison.

"As a recovering drug addict and someone who believes in rehabilitation and the possibility of change, I was affected by the plight of these two men facing death for making a mistake," he says.

Delivered in his typical style - sitting shirtless on his bed, notes in hand, moving between cracking jokes and delivering a serious polemic - Brand also criticised Indonesia, accusing it of carrying out executions for political reasons.

"They're being executed to make a point... successive Indonesian presidents demonstrate their power by increasing executions when they come to the presidency."

"It's a gesture, it's an empty gesture, it's a mask and a veil that conceals the corruption of Indonesia and the true nature of international drug smuggling."

In the sweeping diatribe, Brand linked the planned execution of the pair to punitive, ineffective drug laws around the world and highlighted the decriminalisation of drugs in countries like Portugal.

"The problems of international drug smuggling - these lads [Chan and Sukumaran] didn't design it," said Brand. "They're a symptom of a much bigger problem."

Brand also urged action over the case, pointing out that the United Kingdom's Liverpool Football Club was sponsored by Indonesia's national airline, Garuda.

"Let Liverpool FC know that you do not support the execution in Indonesia of men that are clearly rehabilitated and that you would like Liverpool FC to question their relationship with the national airline," he said, also urging people to sign a petition from Amnesty International.

Garuda became club's official airline partner in 2012.

The international campaign to save Sukumaran and Chan is continuing, despite setbacks such as the loss last week of an appeal against their death penalty sentences.

Politicians, current and retired, from all parties have come out to support the pair, as have a huge number of other prominent Australians, largely coordinated by the official Mercy Campaign. Recently the British band Mumford and Sons and entrepeneur Richard Branson also leant their support to efforts to save the men's lives.

We would like to draw your attention to a campaign called "Mercy Campaign" – read more here https://t.co/uDcfdXmrX5 — Mumford & Sons (@MumfordAndSons) April 5, 2015

The new video comes two days after Brand issued a couple of Tweets in support of Chan and Sukumaran, a move that has already attracted some backlash.

These Aussie blokes are going to be killed soon for a bit of daft drug smuggling (they've done 10 yrs already) HELP! http://t.co/LRxs6JBteR— Russell Brand (@rustyrockets) April 11, 2015

In the video, Brand responds to one internet commenter who argued the pair should "pay their consequences" for breaking the law.

"If you see society as entirely atomised, where none of us have any culpability, where none of us have any interconnection, where people are condemned on the basis of their actions, where there is no clemency, no forgiveness, no possibility of redemption, rehabilitation or change, then you're right," Brand said in response.

"But I don't want to live in that world."