Authorities in Indonesia are preparing to execute nine convicted drug traffickers on death row, including eight foreign nationals, sparking international outrage over punishments that many say are too harsh. But despite the intense opposition abroad, Jakarta intends to move forward with the executions.


The convicts have been held at Nusa Kambangan jail, an island prison off Java.


They include four Africans, three Nigerians, Sylvester Obiekwe Nwolise, Raheem Agbaje Salami, Okwudili Oyatanze and Ghanaian Martin Anderson. Also two Australian members of the so-called "Bali nine” heroin trafficking ring, Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, Filipina Mary Jane Veloso, Indonesian citizen Zainal Abidin, and Brazilian national Rodrigo Gularte.


Despite sustained appeals from the international community, rock bands and global leaders, Indonesian President Joko Widodo, known as Jokowi, steadfastly refused to grant clemency to anyone convicted of a narcotics-related offense.


The president described the executions as the necessary "shock therapy” required to counter what he calls Indonesia’s "drug emergency."


However, there are serious allegations of flawed legal processes. A lawyer for the Bali nine pair has told of how the judges initially agreed to accept bribes of more than $100,000 for a lenient sentence.


In the trial of Indonesian Zanial Abidin, one of the witnesses was allegedly tortured, while lawyers for Filipina Mary Jane Veloso insist she was a victim of human trafficking who went to trial without a qualified translator.


The family of Brazilian Rodrigo Gularte has for years been pushing for a reprieve on the basis of his fragile mental health. Specialists have consistently diagnosed him as paranoid schizophrenic.


Others argue that in accordance with international law, capital punishment should be limited to the "most serious of crimes.”


The U.N. Human Rights Committee has concluded that capital punishment for drug offenses fails to meet this condition, explains Andreas Harsono, from Human Rights Watch.


"There are a lot of studies. The U.N. office for drugs and crime already says that the death penalty should not be implemented against drug traffickers, only for serious crimes which result in direct death," says Harsono.


But in Indonesia, many support the use of capital punishment, political analyst Yohanes Sulaiman says the executions will likely boost the president’s popularity.


"I mean, if you think about it, there will be people applauding him domestically. I mean, people saying, ‘you know, he is standing against all the international positions [and] he is not afraid to be pushed around. So there will be a short-term euphoria basically,” says Sulaiman.


Indonesia has some of the strictest drug laws in the world and ended a four-year unofficial moratorium on capital punishment in 2013.


http://believeafrica.net/indonesia-executes-three-nigerians-six-others-for-drug-trafficking-p597-105.htm

RIP to the dead. Hope it serves the purpose for which this act was done.

FTC

Hell to Indonesia!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Next week another set of "bold" and "enterprising" Nigerians will be on their way to Indonesia on a journey of no return.

R.I.P to the dead.