New Strait Times, 14 Feb 2015
 |
United
Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has pleaded to Indonesia to
stop the
execution of prisoners on death row for drug crimes. AFP PHOTO
|
UNITED
NATIONS: United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appealed to Indonesia not
to execute prisoners on death row for drug crimes, including citizens of
Australia, Brazil, France, Ghana, Indonesia, Nigeria and the Philippines.
Indonesia
has harsh penalties for drug trafficking and resumed executions in 2013 after a
five-year gap. Five foreigners were among six people executed last month, the
first executions since President Joko Widodo took office in October.
UN
spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Ban had spoken with Indonesian Foreign
Minister Retno Marsudi on Thursday “to express his concern at the recent
application of capital punishment in Indonesia.”
“The United
Nations opposes the death penalty under all circumstances,” Dujarric said in a
statement on Friday.
“The
Secretary-General appeals to the Indonesian authorities that the executions of
the remaining prisoners on death row for drug-related offenses not be carried
out.”
Indonesia’s
Attorney General H.M. Prasetyo said earlier this month that two Australians -
Myuran Sukumaran, 33, and Andrew Chan, 31 - are among eight prisoners due to be
executed after Widodo rejected their clemency pleas in January.
Nationals
of Brazil, Malawi, the Netherlands, Nigeria and Vietnam were executed by firing
squad in January.
The case of
the two Australian men threatens to strain already fragile relations between
Australia and Indonesia. The pair were members of the so-called Bali who were
Nine, arrested at Bali’s Denpasar airport in 2005 and convicted of attempting
to smuggle some 8 kg of heroin.
Australia
is pursuing a last-ditch deal with Indonesia to save its citizens, Foreign
Minister Julie Bishop said on Thursday. She said last month she would not rule
out recalling Australia’s envoy if the executions went ahead.
Brazil and
the Netherlands recalled their ambassadors in Indonesia, and Nigeria summoned
Indonesia’s ambassador in Abuja, after last month’s executions. -- Reuters
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