Pubdate: Fri, 26 Dec 2014
Source: Jakarta Post (Indonesia)
Copyright: The Jakarta Post
Contact:  http://www.thejakartapost.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/645
Author: Ina Parlina
Page: 4

MUSLIM ORGANIZATIONS SUPPORT DEATH PENALTY

The country's two largest Muslim organizations, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) 
and Muhammadiyah, have given their support to President Joko "Jokowi" 
Widodo's call for the swift execution of death-row inmates despite 
criticism from human rights campaigners.

Jokowi paid a visit to the headquarters of the two organizations in 
Jakarta on Wednesday in his efforts to rally support for his tough 
stance on drug convicts.

Citing the Koran and the State Constitution, NU chairman Said Aqil 
Siradj said drug trafficking was a serious crime punishable by death.

Muhammadiyah deputy chairman Malik Fadjar meanwhile said the 
country's second biggest Muslim organization "fully supports" the 
execution of drug convicts, given the damage that they bring to young 
generations through drug addiction problems.

The National Police narcotics unit chief Brig. Gen. Anjan Pramuka 
Putra recently revealed that the number of drug-related cases 
nationwide had increased dramatically from 17,539 last year to 18,788 
this year, saying that many foreign drug rings targeted Indonesia as 
their market base because the demand for drugs increased every year.

The police have also named 25,151 suspects in drug-related cases 
throughout 2014, an increase from 23,000 suspects last year. 
According to the police, 126 of those suspects were foreign nationals 
from several countries, including Taiwan, China and Nigeria.

Jokowi maintained that the call for the execution of drug convicts, 
including some foreigners, would not trouble Indonesia's diplomatic 
ties with other countries.

"Those are different issues. You must understand that between 40 to 
50 Indonesians die due to drug abuse every day," Jokowi said.

Later on Wednesday, Jokowi held a Cabinet meeting to further discuss 
the drug abuse cases with relevant ministers, including Coordinating 
Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Tedjo Edhy Purdijatno, 
National Police chief Gen. Sutarman, National Narcotics Agency (BNN) 
head Anang Iskandar and Attorney General M. Prasetyo.

Earlier this month, Tedjo said that Jokowi has authorized the 
executions of five drug convicts sometime in December, with 20 other 
death-row inmates being prepared to face the firing squad next year.

Although the country's criminal justice system recognizes a 
death-by-firing-squad execution for convicts who already received 
their legally binding sentence, the Wednesday Cabinet meeting 
discussed the legal complication that arose from a Constitutional 
Court ruling announced earlier this year that allows a convict to 
file multiple case reviews for their convictions.

"We will coordinate first with the Supreme Court so that if there are 
indeed case reviews, the legal process could be expedited," Prasetyo 
told reporters after Wednesday's Cabinet meeting.

Tedjo meanwhile said that four drug convicts - instead of five as 
mentioned in his previous statement - were probably going to be 
executed in January next year, not this month.
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