168 Indonesian Citizens Threatened with Death Penalty Abroad

Jakarta, MINA – According to data from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as of August 2023, as many as 168 Indonesian citizens are threatened with the death penalty abroad,

Of this number, the majority, namely 157 cases, were recorded in Malaysia, while the rest were in the United Arab Emirates (four cases), Saudi Arabia (three cases), Laos (three cases), and Vietnam (one case).

“The majority of Indonesian citizens who are threatened with the death penalty are involved in drug cases, namely 110 cases, and the rest are involved in murder cases, namely 58 cases,” said the Director of Protection for Indonesian Citizens and BHI at the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Judha Nugraha, when delivering a press statement in Jakarta on Friday.

During the period 2011-2022, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs recorded that 519 Indonesian citizens had been successfully freed from the threat of the death penalty. However, Judha highlighted that the number of Indonesian citizens free from the death penalty was less than the number of new cases added.

For example, during 2022 alone, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted that 22 Indonesian citizens were released from the death penalty but the addition of new cases that were threatened with the death penalty was 25 cases.

“This is a reminder for all of us that handling cases cannot be separated from preventive measures. “So preventive measures must also be strengthened,” said Judha.

In order to help Indonesian citizens who are threatened with the death penalty, the government, through Indonesian representatives abroad, provides consular access, appointment of lawyers and translators, as well as other legal remedies in accordance with the regulations in force in the local country.

“However, it is important to remember that the state’s job is not to liberate. “The state’s duty is to provide legal assistance to ensure that every Indonesian citizen gets their legal rights fairly in local courts,” said Judha. (T/RE1/P2)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)