Indonesia Carries Out Midnight Executions

Cilacap, 24 Syawwal 1437/29 July 2016 (MINA) – Four convicted drug offenders were executed in Indonesia in the early hours of Friday morning but the lives of another 10 were spared in a shock eleventh hour reprieve.

Authorities had planned 14 executions, smh.com.au was quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) as reporting.

Four convicted drug offenders have been executed in Indonesia, but 10 lives were saved in an eleventh hour reprieve.
Three Nigerians – Humphrey Jefferson Ejike Eleweke, Seck Osmane and Michael Titus Igweh and Indonesian Freddy Budiman – were killed by firing squad at 12.45am in the middle of torrential downpours.

It is not clear why the execution of the other ten prisoners did not proceed.

“Of course there are considerations for it,” was all Deputy Attorney General for Crimes, Noor Rachmad would say.

Those who had been executed had filed for judicial reviews twice and both were rejected, he told reporters outside the Nusakambangan prison in Central Java

Human rights groups and lawyers had fought to persuade President Joko Widodo to postpone the executions, claiming there was evidence of torture, corruption, bribery and miscarriages of justice.

In the hours before the executions it emerged former Indonesian president Bacharuddin Jusuf Habibie had appealed to President Joko Widodo to save the life of Pakistani textile worker Zulfiqar Ali, saying evidence pointed to his innocence.

Mr Habibie also called for a moratorium on the death penalty.

Mr Ali’s lawyer, Saut Edward Rajaguguk, said that prosecutors did not give him reasons for the postponement.

“Thank God, my client can still breathe,” he said.

Mr Ali’s wife, Siti Rouhani, who had almost collapsed when she was informed of her husband’s execution on Thursday morning, said she was very grateful for the last minute reprieve.

Deeply disturbing

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Raad al-Hussein said he found it “deeply disturbing” that Indonesia was the most prolific executioner in South-East Asia.

“Indonesia recently revealed it had budgeted for another 30 people to be executed next year.

Amnesty International said the executions by the Indonesian authorities was a deplorable act that violated international and Indonesian law.

“Any executions that are still to take place must be halted immediately. The injustice already done cannot be reversed, but there is still hope that it won’t be compounded,” said Rafendi Djamin, Amnesty International’s Director for South East Asia and the Pacific. (T/R07/R01)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)