Minister: Indonesia Putting Executions on Hold to Focus on Economy

Jakarta Globe, Basten Gokkon, 19 Nov 2015

Luhut Pandjaitan, the coordinating minister for political, legal and security affairs,
 told reporters in Jakarta on Thursday that President Joko Widodo would not
authorize any more executions pending efforts to revive the economy, which is
growing at its slowest pace in six years. (Reuters Photo/Darren Whiteside)

Jakarta. The Indonesian government has announced a moratorium on carrying out the death penalty in order to focus on improving a sputtering economy.

Luhut Pandjaitan, the coordinating minister for political, legal and security affairs, told reporters in Jakarta on Thursday that President Joko Widodo would not authorize any more executions pending efforts to revive the economy, which is growing at its slowest pace in six years.

“The government needs to focus on Indonesia's economy first,” Luhut said, without giving a time frame for the suspension of executions.

The Joko administration has drawn widespread condemnation from the international community for reviving the death penalty that the previous administration of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono had largely shelved.

Under Joko, Indonesia has this year put to death 14 people convicted of drug offenses, 12 of them foreign nationals, including a mentally ill Brazilian and two Australians who had reformed and were providing classes and ministry for fellow prisoners.

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