The Indonesian government on Friday said it had executed four drug traffickers, giving a reprieve of uncertain duration to 10 others it had said would also be put to death.
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Earlier, Indonesia had rejected appeals from the United Nations and European Union to halt the execution of 14 drug convicts including a Pakistani national and other foreigners.
Those convicted are said to be from Nigeria, Pakistan, India and Zimbabwe and Indonesians and had been isolated at a prison island where the executions are carried out.
“It was not a pleasant thing, but it was to implement the law”, he said, adding: “The executions are only aimed at halting drug crimes”. But these suggestions should be sent To avoid distracting other readers, we won’t publish comments that suggest a correction.
According to Reuters, Ejike’s legal counsel Raynov Tumorang said in a text message: “At this stage, we can only say that we are extremely disappointed with the fact that Jeff was executed”.
U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein said in a statement he’s “deeply concerned” by death penalty cases in Indonesia that lack transparency and compliance with the right to a fair trial, including the right to an appeal.
The other 10 are spared, although it is unsure why exactly the government chose to keep the 10 alive.
Nigerian Humphrey “Jeff” Ejike Eleweke, who maintained his innocence, was held without access access to lawyer for five months after his arrest and did not have an interpreter at trial.
“I need to emphasize here that all the legal rights and legal procedures related to the death-row convicts have been fulfilled”, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Arrmanatha Nasir announced on Thursday (28 July).
Distraught relatives rushed to Nusakambangan to say farewell to their loved ones.
Indonesia says it is facing a drug abuse epidemic and that putting drug traffickers to death will act as a deterrent. The reason for the delay of their executions is not yet known but lawyers for some of the people spared from last nights executions told the ABC their clients may seek last-minute clemency from President Joko Widodo, meaning their executions could be delayed.
The prison island in Central Java known as the Alcatraz of Indonesia is the same place where Australians Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran were executed, along with six others, in April previous year. All the cases have gone through a long legal process including appeals, he said. He was elected in 2014 on promises to improve human rights.
Three more Nigerians will be executed between now and Saturday, according to Amnesty International.
Two people whose cases had raised high-profile worldwide concern among rights groups were not executed.
The attorney general’s office had said late Wednesday that 14 convicts would be executed “soon”.
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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.
