"This individual must be placed in the only prison with the highest level of security, which is Nusakambangan. Otherwise, he could pose further risks," Coordinating Minister for Law, Human Rights, Immigration, and Corrections, Yusril Ihza Mahendra, said in Jakarta on Thursday.
He confirmed that his team has initiated preliminary discussions with the British government regarding Indonesia's request for Sinaga’s repatriation.
Mahendra emphasized that the Indonesian government will continue engaging with UK authorities to establish a mutually beneficial extradition arrangement, including the possibility of a prisoner transfer or exchange.
The minister then highlighted that many British nationals are currently serving sentences in Indonesia.
He said that his ministry has been closely coordinating with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the prisoner extradition plan, driven by a formal request made by Sinaga's family to the government.
The Indonesian government has the responsibility to proportionally defend all its constituents, including those facing legal consequences overseas, he added.
"We act on behalf of the state, not individuals," he affirmed.
In 2020, a court in Manchester, the United Kingdom, sentenced Sinaga to life incarceration after declaring him guilty of raping and sexually assaulting 48 men.
Sinaga committed his crimes over approximately two and a half years. The judges said the Indonesian convict will need to serve at least 30 years of his sentence to apply for clemency.
Reports about Sinaga being brutally assaulted by inmates broke out on social media in December last year. The Foreign Affairs Ministry then clarified that the reported incident occurred in July 2023, not 2024 as suspected by the public.
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Translator: Agatha O, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Primayanti
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