Indonesian Attorney-General Muhammad Prasetyo was quoted saying: “Present inmates to be put to death are all drug offenders so they know we are really at war with drugs”.
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According to America-based ABC News, four Nigerian prisoners (Eugene Ape, Humprey Ejike, Michael Titus Igweh and Obinna Nwajagu) and one Pakistani prisoner are to be executed soon.
Zulfiqar, 52, was arrested in November 2004 in connection with a 300 gram heroin case in Jakarta.
Indonesia Attorney General, HM Prasetyo confirmed on Wednesday that the third round of execution to be carried out since 2013 is approaching and 14 prisoners will be executed.
Indonesia sparked global outrage with its last batch of executions in April 2015 when it put to death seven foreigners, including two Australians.
The next round of executions in Indonesia appear imminent following the transfer of an Indonesian woman on death row, Merri Utami, to the execution island of Nusa Kambangan. But critics argue capital punishment is not an effective deterrent and some have also questioned the accuracy of the government’s drug abuse statistics.
This is all a dramatic and flawed attempt by Joko Widodo to curb drugs crime in Indonesia.
Security at Nusakambangan prison island has been ramped up and visitors have been barred in recent days – signs that executions are about to take place.
“There is no evidence to support President Widodo’s position”, said Amnesty’s Josef Benedict.
The last series of executions back in April 2015 sparked global outrage when the country executed seven foreigners, including two Australians.
It provoked worldwide outrage in April last year with the executions of eight drug traffickers, seven foreigners among them, following the 2013 end of a five-year temporary halt in the practice.
“Jokowi should also ban the death penalty for drug crimes, which global law prohibits, rather than giving the go-ahead for more multiple executions”. “Indonesian ambassador in Islamabad was also called in by the ministry and asked to convey the government of Pakistan’s concern to his authorities”, Foreign Office spokesman Nafees Zakariya said. “Ali’s execution would be grossly unlawful with such severe due-process violations during his detention, trial and conviction”.
It is a legal requirement in Indonesia to give a minimum notice period of 72 hours before executions, and authorities typically put people to death just after midnight. Carrying out executions will not rid Indonesia of drugs.
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A convoy of ambulances, majority carrying coffins, arrived Thursday morning at the port town nearest to the Nusa Kambangan prison island, where the mostly foreign drug convicts will be executed by firing squads.
