"It is time for Indonesia to impose moratorium on all executions in 2018, as the first step toward the permanent abolition of the death penalty in Indonesia," Executive Director of Amnesty International Indonesia Usman Hamid said here, Thursday.
A global report by Amnesty International has shown a declining trend in the number of death penalties awarded in the world from 1,032 in 2016 to 993 in 2017.
The number has declined 39 percent compared with 2015, when the death penalty reached 1,643, the highest number documented by Amnesty International since 1989.
"The declining global trend has opened the chance for Indonesia to review its capital punishment rules, and it has the capacity to do this," he said.
During 2017, a few countries took bold measures to abolish the death penalty, Usman continued.
A report by Amnesty International Indonesia stated that of the 14 people on the death row in 2016, the Attorney General Office executed only four.
The four death row inmates were three foreigners and an Indonesian, namely, Humphrey Ejike alias Doctor (Nigeria), Seck Osmane (Senegal), Freddy Budiman (Indonesia) and Michael Titus Igweh (Nigeria).
Some 10 other death row inmates had their executions postponed, namely Merri Utami (Indonesia), Zulfiqar Ali (Pakistan), Gurdip Singh (India), Onkonkwo Nonso Kingsley (Nigeria), Obina Nwajagu (Nigeria), Ozias Sibanda (Zimbabwe), Federik Luttar (Zimbabwe), Eugene Ape (Nigeria), Pujo Lestari (Indonesia) and Agus Hadi (Indonesia).
In 2017, no executions were reported after the postponement.
"However, at least 47 capital punishment verdicts were announced for Indonesian inmates. The number has declined compared with 2016 reaching 60 cases," Usman noted.
Reported by Maria Rosari
(S022/INE)
(T.SYS/A/KR-BSR/S012)
Reporter: SYSTEM
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2018
