FEATURED POST

Communist Vietnam's secret death penalty conveyor belt: How country trails only China and Iran for 'astonishing' number of executions

Published
Image
Prisoners are dragged from their cells at 4am without warning to be given a lethal injection Vietnam's use of the death penalty has been thrust into the spotlight after a real estate tycoon was on Thursday sentenced to be executed in one of the biggest corruption cases in the country's history. Truong My Lan, a businesswoman who chaired a sprawling company that developed luxury apartments, hotels, offices and shopping malls, was arrested in 2022.

Saudi Arabia: Six Indonesians on death row released after Indonesia agreed to pay $106,000 in 'blood money'

Published
Deputy governor of South Kalimantan, Rudy Resnawan, welcomes the six migrant workers rescued from Saudi Arabia's death row on June 4, 2015.
Deputy governor of South Kalimantan, Rudy Resnawan, welcomes the
six migrant workers rescued from Saudi Arabia's death row.
June 3, 2015: Six Indonesian migrant workers sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia were released and arrived home, after the Indonesian Government agreed to pay the blood money.

Saeful Mubarok, Sam'ani Muhammad, Muhammad Mursyidi, Ahrtati, Ahmad Zizi Hartati, Abdul Aziz and Muhammad Daham Supiyani Arifin were sentenced to death over the murder of Pakistani immigrant Zubair bin Hafiz Ghul Muhammad in Mecca in 2006.

During the men's eight years in prison, the Indonesian Embassy, ​​the Consulate General in Jeddah, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the authorities of the South Kalimantan province made various efforts to approach the victim's family and obtain their pardon under Islamic law.

The Indonesian government agreed to pay Saudi Arabia $106,500 for their release.

South Kalimantan Governor Rudy Arifin said the money for the payment of diyat (blood money) came from the Kalimantan province's budget. 

"I thank the Interior Ministry, who gave permission to pay Rp1.3 billion through budget funds," said Rudy, during a welcoming ceremony at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday. 

Meanwhile, the Director of the Protection of Indonesian Citizens and Indonesian Legal Entities, Muhammad Iqbal, said the six men rescued from Saudi Arabia's death row will not face charges in Indonesia.

Sources: www.newzulu.us, CNN Indonesia, Tribune Network, June 3, 2015


Five Indonesians escape death sentence in Saudi Arabia

Five Indonesian migrant workers from Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, sentenced to death in a murder case in Saudi Arabia have been released by the court after receiving forgiveness from the victim's family.

Foreign Ministry director for Indonesian citizens and legal entities Lalu Muhammad Iqbal said late on Wednesday evening that the five had been granted forgiveness in 2014, but their release had to wait till 2015 as the court required the Indonesian government to pay 400,000 Saudi Arabian riyal (US$107,000) as "diat" or monetary compensation.

"The family did not ask for diat but the court did, considering the victim lost a son," Iqbal said as quoted by Antara news agency.

Therefore, the Foreign Ministry coordinated with the local government of South Kalimantan to secure the money, which was eventually taken from the local budget.

The five Indonesian migrant workers -- Saiful Mubarak, Sam'ani Muhammad, Muhammad Mursyidi, Ahmad Zizi Hartati and Abdul Aziz Supiyani, aided by Muhammad Daham Arifin -- killed Saudi Arabian Zubair bin Hafiz Ghul Muhammad in 2006.

"He [Muhammad Daham Arifin] was just a facilitator who helped them buy cement to bury the victim without being aware of their intention," Iqbal explained.

The release of the five raises the number of citizens freed from the death penalty with the help of the Indonesian government to 34 this year, comprising 10 people in Saudi Arabia, 12 in Malaysia, 10 in China, and one in both Brunei and Thailand.

Source: The Jakarta Post, June 04, 2015

Report an error, an omission: deathpenaltynews@gmail.com
Location: Republic of Indonesia
Related content:

Most Viewed (Last 7 Days)

Communist Vietnam's secret death penalty conveyor belt: How country trails only China and Iran for 'astonishing' number of executions

Published
Image
Prisoners are dragged from their cells at 4am without warning to be given a lethal injection Vietnam's use of the death penalty has been thrust into the spotlight after a real estate tycoon was on Thursday sentenced to be executed in one of the biggest corruption cases in the country's history. Truong My Lan, a businesswoman who chaired a sprawling company that developed luxury apartments, hotels, offices and shopping malls, was arrested in 2022.
Read more

Japan | Death-row inmates' lawsuit targeting same-day notifications of executions dismissed

Published
Image
The Osaka District Court on Monday dismissed a lawsuit by death row inmates that claimed same-day notifications of executions violate the Constitution — the first ruling of its kind. The plaintiffs filed the lawsuit against the government in hopes of sparking a wider discussion on the rights of death row prisoners. They also sought ¥22 million in compensation and plan to appeal to a higher court.
Read more

Texas | State district judge recommends overturning Melissa Lucio’s death sentence

Published
Image
In a rare joint statement, the district attorney and the defense agreed that prosecutors withheld evidence that could point to a Rio Grande Valley woman’s innocence in the death of her toddler. A district judge who previously presided over a woman’s capital murder case recommended last week that the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals overturn Melissa Lucio's 2008 conviction after a district attorney’s office admitted that prosecutors withheld evidence from her defense.
Read more

U.S. Supreme Court to hear Arizona death penalty case that could redefine historic precedent

Published
Image
The U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments centering on an Arizona death row prisoner that could set new precedent to determining ineffective assistance of counsel.  A Mohave County Superior Court jury convicted Danny Lee Jones for the 1992 murders of Robert Weaver and his daughter Tisha, as well as the attempted murder of Weaver’s grandmother. A judge sentenced Jones to death for the two murders.
Read more

Iran | Probable Child Offender and Child Bride, Husband Executed for Drug Charges

Published
Image
Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); April 15 2024: Marjan Hajizadeh and Esmail Hassaniani, a couple sentenced to death for drug-related charges in a joint case, were executed in Zanjan Central Prison.  Marjan is reported to have been 16 at the time of arrest, which IHRNGO is working to confirm. If verified, she will be the first child offender executed for drug charges since 2014. She was also a child bride forced into marriage.
Read more

Bill Moves Forward to Prevent Use of Nitrogen Gas Asphyxiation in Louisiana Executions

Published
Image
There’s an effort underway, in the current legislative session in Baton Rouge, to reverse course on the controversial execution method with Senate Bill 430. When Louisiana legislators approved the use of nitrogen gas asphyxiation as an execution method during a second special legislative session in February, the move attracted national attention; not the least because it has only been used in the U.S. once. That’s when Alabama executed convicted killer Kenneth Eugene Smith on January 25th of this year. Now there’s an effort underway, in the current legislative session in Baton Rouge, to reverse course on the controversial execution method with Senate Bill 430.
Read more