Monday, February 16, 2015

Indonesia moving a Nigerian, 5 other foreigners for execution


A Nigeria and seven convicted drug smugglers will be transferred to an Indonesian prison island this week for imminent execution despite international appeals for clemency, an official said on Monday.


The Nigerian is among five men from France, Brazil, Ghana and Indonesia, and a woman from the Philippines,  will face a firing squad after being moved to Nusa Kambangan prison, Attorney General's Office spokesman Tony Spontana said, without giving exact dates. Six other drug smugglers, including five foreigners, were executed in January at the same prison, located off Indonesia's main island of Java.

Australian death row prisoner Myuran Sukumaran is escorted by police while attending a review hearing in the District Court of Denpasar in Bali.
Among the eight are Andrew Chan, 31, and Myuran Sukumaran, 33, the ringleaders of a group of nine Australians arrested in 2005 for attempting to smuggle 8.3 kilograms (18.3 pounds) of heroin to Australia from the Indonesian resort island of Bali. The seven other members of the group — dubbed the "Bali Nine" by Australian media — have received prison sentences ranging from 20 years to life.

Indonesian President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has rejected appeals by Australia's government for clemency for Chan and Sukumaran, and vowed not to grant mercy to any other drug offenders because Indonesia is suffering a "drug emergency."

Indonesia has extremely strict drug laws. On January 18, it executed six drug convicts by firing squad, including foreigners from Brazil, Malawi, Nigeria, the Netherlands and Vietnam, brushing aside last-minute appeals by foreign leaders.
There are 133 people on death row in Indonesia, including 57 for drug crimes and two convicted terrorists.

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