Indonesian migrant worker freed from death penalty in Saudi returns to Indonesia; Widodo instrumental in securing pardon

Nurkoyah, an Indonesian female worker from Rengasdengklok, Karawang, West Java Province, awarded death penalty by the Saudi Court for the death of the child of her employer, was released and finally returned to Indonesia.

Nurkoyah Marsan Dasan departed from the King Fahd Dammam International Airport on Tuesday night (July 3) and is scheduled to arrive in Jakarta on Wednesday (July 4) at 15:40 local time, Indonesian Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Agus Maftuh Abegebriel noted in a statement received by Antara here on Wednesday.

The Dammam City General Court granted pardon to Nurkoyah, who had been charged with murdering her employer's son.

Following a lengthy legal process lasting 8 years, Nurkoyah was finally freed on April 3, 2018.

According to Ambassador Abegebriel, during the trial, Nurkoyah received full assistance from the Embassy team in Riyadh and Mish'al Al Shareef, as the lawyer from the Mish'al Al Shareef Law Office.

The Indonesian ambassador, Legal Attache of the Indonesian Embassy Muhibuddin, Police Attache Fahrurrazi, and Counselor Sunan Jaya Rustam facilitated the process of returning Nurkoyah to Indonesia.

They accompanied Nurkoyah from the Dammam prison until she arrived at the King Fahd Dammam International Airport, some 500 kilometers east of Riyadh City.

Nurkoyah thanked President Joko Widodo for the special attention given to all Indonesian citizens in Saudi Arabia facing legal problems and to the Embassy of Indonesia in Riyadh that had provided advocacy to secure a pardon from death penalty.

Ambassador Abegebriel said Nurkoyah's return to Indonesia was special as she was accompanied by Consul of the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Riyadh Makki Nahari and was escorted to her hometown by Mish'al Shareef, who is a well-known lawyer in Saudi.

During this time, Shareef conducted intensive advocacies for several cases of Indonesian citizens in Saudi Arabia, including in Nurkoyah's case.

Ambassador Abegebriel affirmed that the Embassy in Riyadh will remain consistent in serving and helping every Indonesian citizen in Saudi Arabia.

Source: Antara News, July 4, 2018

➤ Related content: Karawang migrant worker returns home after escaping death penalty in Saudi Arabia, July 5, 2018

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