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| Indonesia kills four prisoners in first executions in a year | Indonesia kills four prisoners in first executions in a year |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Indonesia has carried out its first executions in more than a year despite a string of legal appeals, diplomatic pressure and international condemnation. | Indonesia has carried out its first executions in more than a year despite a string of legal appeals, diplomatic pressure and international condemnation. |
| Four prisoners, all sentenced to death for drug offences, were escorted to a clearing on the penal island of Nusa Kambangan and shot dead by a firing squad early on Friday. | Four prisoners, all sentenced to death for drug offences, were escorted to a clearing on the penal island of Nusa Kambangan and shot dead by a firing squad early on Friday. |
| They were identified as Freddy Budiman, an Indonesian citizen; Humphrey Jefferson Ejike Eleweke and Michael Titus Igweh, from Nigeria; and Seck Osmane, from Senegal. | |
| Ten others who had also faced execution – including three Indonesians, and foreign nationals from countries including Pakistan and India – were not killed, but officials said they would be put to death at a later date. | |
| Authorities did not give a reason for the reprieve, but the island was hit by a major storm as the other executions took place. | Authorities did not give a reason for the reprieve, but the island was hit by a major storm as the other executions took place. |
| Deputy attorney general Noor Rachmad said the four men were executed shortly after midnight local time. | Deputy attorney general Noor Rachmad said the four men were executed shortly after midnight local time. |
| “This is not a fun job. For us, this is really a sad job because it involves people’s lives,” he said. “This was done not in order to take lives but to stop evil intentions, and the evil act of drug trafficking.” | “This is not a fun job. For us, this is really a sad job because it involves people’s lives,” he said. “This was done not in order to take lives but to stop evil intentions, and the evil act of drug trafficking.” |
| Jefferson’s lawyer, Afif Abdul Qoyim, told AFP the execution should not have gone ahead as his client this week filed a legal appeal. “When this process is not respected, that means that this is no longer a country that upholds the law, nor human rights,” he said. | |
| Lawyers said there was evidence to suggest Jefferson was not guilty of the crime for which he was condemned to death – possessing 1.7kg of heroin – including an admission of guilt on his deathbed by the man who allegedly framed him. | |
| Jefferson had previously refused to apply for clemency, arguing that it would equate to an admission of guilt. But in a last-ditch effort, his lawyers lodged an appeal for clemency on Monday morning. Under Indonesian law executions cannot be carried out while a clemency appeal is still pending. | |
| Police, army and navy personnel were tightly monitoring the port, the gateway to Nusa Kambangan prison, with 1,500 officers assigned to guard the area. | Police, army and navy personnel were tightly monitoring the port, the gateway to Nusa Kambangan prison, with 1,500 officers assigned to guard the area. |
| Coffins were ferried to Nusa Kambangan on Thursday morning, and spiritual advisers – who provide comfort and guidance to prisoners in their final hours – were told to prepare the inmates for their deaths within hours. | Coffins were ferried to Nusa Kambangan on Thursday morning, and spiritual advisers – who provide comfort and guidance to prisoners in their final hours – were told to prepare the inmates for their deaths within hours. |
| Amnesty International described the execution as “a deplorable act”. | Amnesty International described the execution as “a deplorable act”. |
| “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’s director for south-east Asia and the Pacific. | “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’s director for south-east Asia and the Pacific. |
| Indonesia had largely withheld details of this round of executions from the public, declining even to publicly confirm the list of those slated to be executed in the hours leading up to their deaths. | |
| Two people whose cases had raised high-profile international concern among rights groups were not executed. | Two people whose cases had raised high-profile international concern among rights groups were not executed. |
| The first was Pakistani Zulfiqar Ali, who has alleged he was beaten into confessing to the crime of heroin possession. The other was Indonesian woman Merri Utami, who was caught with heroin in her bag as she came through Jakarta airport and claims she was duped into becoming a drug mule. | The first was Pakistani Zulfiqar Ali, who has alleged he was beaten into confessing to the crime of heroin possession. The other was Indonesian woman Merri Utami, who was caught with heroin in her bag as she came through Jakarta airport and claims she was duped into becoming a drug mule. |
| The secrecy around the first wave of executions this year follows the intense diplomatic blowback and global criticism sparked by the execution of 14 people in two rounds last year, when nationals of Brazil, the Netherlands and Nigeria among others, as well as the two Australian men, Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, were put in front of the firing squad. | The secrecy around the first wave of executions this year follows the intense diplomatic blowback and global criticism sparked by the execution of 14 people in two rounds last year, when nationals of Brazil, the Netherlands and Nigeria among others, as well as the two Australian men, Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, were put in front of the firing squad. |
| Ricky Gunawan, the director of the Community Legal Aid Institute, said the lack of transparency around the latest round of executions has been a convenient cover. “For all this time they have kept it secret,” he said. “Indonesia is perhaps aware that there are so many laws they are violating so that’s why they keep it secret.” | Ricky Gunawan, the director of the Community Legal Aid Institute, said the lack of transparency around the latest round of executions has been a convenient cover. “For all this time they have kept it secret,” he said. “Indonesia is perhaps aware that there are so many laws they are violating so that’s why they keep it secret.” |
| Under Indonesian law death row prisoners cannot be executed unless all legal avenues – including clemency appeals – are fully exhausted. | Under Indonesian law death row prisoners cannot be executed unless all legal avenues – including clemency appeals – are fully exhausted. |
| Carrying out the executions at this time would also appear to be in contravention of Indonesia’s own regulations, which say at least 72 hours’ notice must be given: prisoners and their families were told only on Tuesday that the death penalty was to be carried out. | Carrying out the executions at this time would also appear to be in contravention of Indonesia’s own regulations, which say at least 72 hours’ notice must be given: prisoners and their families were told only on Tuesday that the death penalty was to be carried out. |
| Related: Death penalty in Indonesia: an executioner's story | |
| The embassy of Pakistan had stepped up diplomatic efforts over recent days to stop the execution of Zulfiqar Ali, while India’s minister of external affairs, Sushma Swaraj, tweeted that “last-minute efforts” were also under way to save Gurdip Singh, an Indian national. | The embassy of Pakistan had stepped up diplomatic efforts over recent days to stop the execution of Zulfiqar Ali, while India’s minister of external affairs, Sushma Swaraj, tweeted that “last-minute efforts” were also under way to save Gurdip Singh, an Indian national. |
| A vigil took place in front of the presidential palace in Jakarta on Thursday evening, where candles were lit in a last-minute appeal to save the lives of those condemned. | A vigil took place in front of the presidential palace in Jakarta on Thursday evening, where candles were lit in a last-minute appeal to save the lives of those condemned. |
| Pres @jokowi, cermati secara utuh kasus MU, ia korban sindikat narkoba dan perdagangan orang! #Grasi4MU pic.twitter.com/pTfvjem4fa | Pres @jokowi, cermati secara utuh kasus MU, ia korban sindikat narkoba dan perdagangan orang! #Grasi4MU pic.twitter.com/pTfvjem4fa |
| International rights groups have lashed out against Widodo for disregarding serious questions around the fairness of trials related to this round of executions, as well as condemning the logic of his war against drugs. | International rights groups have lashed out against Widodo for disregarding serious questions around the fairness of trials related to this round of executions, as well as condemning the logic of his war against drugs. |
| “There is no evidence to support President Widodo’s position. The death penalty does not deter crime,” said Josef Benedict, Amnesty International’s deputy director for south-east Asia and the Pacific, ahead of the executions. | “There is no evidence to support President Widodo’s position. The death penalty does not deter crime,” said Josef Benedict, Amnesty International’s deputy director for south-east Asia and the Pacific, ahead of the executions. |
| “Carrying out executions will not rid Indonesia of drugs. It is never the solution, and it will damage Indonesia’s standing in the world,” he said. | “Carrying out executions will not rid Indonesia of drugs. It is never the solution, and it will damage Indonesia’s standing in the world,” he said. |
| Muhammad Rum, a spokesman for the attorney general, earlier said the executions were the “implementation of our positive laws” and would not be delayed. All the cases have gone through a long legal process including appeals, he said. “They all have been given chances at all stages.” | Muhammad Rum, a spokesman for the attorney general, earlier said the executions were the “implementation of our positive laws” and would not be delayed. All the cases have gone through a long legal process including appeals, he said. “They all have been given chances at all stages.” |
| Indonesia resumed executions in 2013, ending a four-year unofficial moratorium on the death penalty. Executions for drug-related crimes are a violation of international law. | Indonesia resumed executions in 2013, ending a four-year unofficial moratorium on the death penalty. Executions for drug-related crimes are a violation of international law. |
| Related: Mary Jane Veloso: what happened to the woman who escaped execution in Indonesia? | |
| There are more than 150 people on death row in Indonesia, according to Amnesty International, including two Britons, Lindsay Sandiford and Gareth Cashmore, and American Frank Amado. | There are more than 150 people on death row in Indonesia, according to Amnesty International, including two Britons, Lindsay Sandiford and Gareth Cashmore, and American Frank Amado. |
| The four men executed by Indonesia | |
| Freddy Budiman, Indonesia | |
| Budiman was sentenced to death by the West Jakarta district court in 2012, after he was found guilty of smuggling 1.4m ecstasy pills from China in 2011. The drugs operation was uncovered by the National Narcotics Agency when officers raided a track carrying the pills in West Jakarta. It was later discovered the drugs belonged to Budiman, who at the time was already in prison but controlling the trade from behind bars. He was moved from Cipinang prison in East Jakarta to the high security Batu prison on Nusa Kambangan in 2013 after the discovery. His case review was rejected by the Indonesian supreme court earlier this month. | |
| Humphrey Jefferson Ejike Eleweke, Nigeria | |
| Jefferson, then a restaurant owner, was arrested in 2003 after police found 1.7kg of heroin in a room used by one of his employees. He was sentenced to death in 2004 and has until now declined to ask for presidential clemency as it would entail seeking forgiveness for a crime of which he says he is innocent. His lawyers say there is evidence that he was framed. | |
| Michael Titus Igweh, Nigeria | |
| Titus was found guilty of possessing 5.8kg of heroin in 2002. At the time he was 23 years old. He was sentenced to death the following year. He claims he was subject to beatings and torture in detention, this May telling the district court in Tangerang during his appeal that his genitals were repeatedly electrocuted to elicit a confession under duress. | |
| Seck Osmane, Senegal/South Africa | |
| Osmane was sentenced to death in Jakarta in 2004 for carrying 2.4kg of heroin in 25 packages. The prosecutor said: “He came to Indonesia and acted in a manner that would destroy the future of the nation, by smuggling a large quantity of heroin for sale … and should be sentenced to death.” His appeal was rejected by the supreme court in 2005, and final judicial challenges failed in 2009 and 2011. |