Two Australian members of the “Bali nine” drug trafficking ring, arrested in Bali in 2005 for attempting to smuggle 8kg of heroin to Australia, are to be executed this month, an Indonesian government official said yesterday, ignoring clemency pleas from their home country.
Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan are among eight prisoners due to be executed as Indonesian President Joko Widodo draws criticism from rights activists at home and abroad over his approach to drug traffickers.
“We received notification from Bali’s attorney general yesterday that the two Australians whose clemency has been rejected by the president will be executed in February 2015,” Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Armanatha Nasir said. “We have informed the Australian embassy of this.”
Last month, Indonesia executed six prisoners by firing squad for drug offenses, including five foreigners from Brazil, Malawi, the Netherlands, Nigeria and Vietnam.
Brazil and the Netherlands recalled their ambassadors in Indonesia, while Nigeria summoned Indonesia’s ambassador in Abuja.
Australian Minister of Foreign Affairs Julie Bishop said last month she would not rule out recalling the country’s envoy if the executions go ahead.
Nasir played down potential for a diplomatic fallout as a result of the executions.
“This is not a political or diplomatic issue,” Nasir said. “We are just upholding our law by addressing the crimes that these individuals committed. We are not against any particular nation.”
Others in line for execution include citizens of Brazil, France, Ghana, Indonesia, Nigeria and the Philippines, a spokesman for the attorney general’s office said last week.
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