despite a series of diplomatic pressure and legal appeals, Indonesia has carried out its first executions since 2013.
This morning, four drug offenders were sentenced to death by firing squad on the island of Nusa Kambangan, Central Java. The convicts were identified as Freddy Budiman from Indonesia; Humphrey Jefferson, Ejike Eleweke and Michael Titus Igweh, Nigeria; Seck Osman and South Africa.
Budiman was sentenced in 2012 after being found guilty of smuggling 1.4 million ecstasy pills from China; Jefferson was found in possession of 1.7 kg of heroin in 2003 and was sentenced a year later; Igweh was in possession of 5.8 kg of heroin and charged in 2002; while Osman carried 2.4 kilograms of heroin which he was sentenced to the death penalty in 2004.
Ten other people who were also scheduled to face the firing squad this morning were unexpectedly saved from their fate, although the authorities have failed to give a specific reason for the suspension. There have been reports that they will be executed at a later date due to a major storm to hit the island.
The politics of the death penalty in Indonesia has sparked international debate between government officials and the organizations of human rights. Questioning the decision of Indonesia to end the lives of people for drug offenses, international rights groups have called for President Joko Widodo to stop applying the death penalty at a time.
"There is no evidence to support the position of President Widodo. The death penalty has no deterrent effect," said Josef Benedict, Amnesty International Deputy for Asia southeast and the Pacific, as reported by the Guardian.
the head of the human rights UN Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein also expressed concern treatment for drug offenses in the country:
"I find it deeply disturbing that Indonesia has executed 19 people since 2013, making it the most prolific executioner in Southeast Asia."