Jakarta, IO – The Foreign Ministry (Kemlu) revealed that there are 166 Indonesian citizens on death row overseas, the majority of them in Malaysia.
“The majority of the cases relate to drug trafficking,” said Judha Nugraha, the ministry’s citizen protection director, per Detikcom, Wed (6/3).
Among the group, 33 are women. Other than Malaysia, there are also several citizens facing death penalty for murder conviction in the Middle East.
Judha explained that if classified based on the type of crime, drug cases dominated with 108, followed by murder with 58 cases. “We classify it as a high-profile case, so we make sure the state is present from the start,” he said.
The Indonesian government, according to Judha, has made various efforts and provided legal assistance for the said citizens, such as preparing lawyers and translators.
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“We also ensure that there is access to legal counsel so that we can monitor the person concerned to ensure that their rights are fulfilled during the legal proceedings,” said Judha.
“Then there are diplomatic efforts. So, apart from legal assistance, we also carry out diplomatic efforts on various occasions, especially in cases that have already been legally binding. These efforts include sending a letter requesting pardon through their ambassadors or in some cases directly to the heads of state,” he explained. (bp)