Indonesia Executes Eight Drug Convicts, Draws Intl Outcry

Jakarta, Indonesia- The government ignored pressure from the international community by executing eight death row prisoners on Nusakambangan Prison Island on Wednesday.

According to an official from the Attorney General’s Office, they have carried out the executions (while talking to the press under the condition of anonymity).

Eight prisoners included Rodrigo Gularte (Brazil), Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran (Australia), Martin Anderson (Ghana), Zainal Abidin (Indonesia) and Raheem Agbaje, Sylvester Obiekwe Nwolise and Okwudili Oyatanze (Nigeria).

On the other hand, Mary Jane Veloso, who was supposed to be part of the execution, was spared the last minute after the attorney general responded to calls from Manila, Philippines that she has to be spared to become a witness versus the woman to be charged with human trafficking.

The woman surrendered herself to the Philippine police on Tuesday.

The executions, according to the report published at The Jakarta Post “RI executes 8 drug convicts,’ the executions were carried out at 12:30 am, funeral director with the Javanese Christian Church Suhendro Putro said.

Tony Spontana, AGO spokesperson, said that the Indonesian government agreed to the final requests made by the two Australian nationals that their bodies be flown back to Australia for burial.

According to a Cilacap Police officer assigned, prayers were given for every convict based on their respective religion and that the executions, without any disruption, went well.

The Attorney General Office stated that they had carried out the executions after hearing the final requests of the eight convicts.

This batch of execution was the second after the first one on January 18 involving six inmates from Brazil, the Netherlands, Vietnam, Nigeria and Malawi that were also executed by firing squad.

Follow-up story: AGO is yet to make its final evaluation on whether to proceed with the next execution of death-row convicts soon after the two latest batches drew international attention and outcry. Tony Spontana said that convicts to be included in the upcoming execution would be those who had used all legal attempts to skip death penalty. (Jakarta Post, April 30, “Govt mulling third rounds of executions”)