"It is not true that the government did not provide protection for Ruyati," Coordinating Minister for People`s Welfare Agung Laksono said here on Sunday.
He said that Ruyati had been taken to court for murdering an old Arab woman. "Ruyati herself has confessed the murder, so that she was sentenced to death," he said.
Under Saudi law a court would hand down a death sentence if the members of the victim`s family did not pardon the defendant, he said.
"This does not mean that the government did not provide protection but the law in Saudi Arabia regulates that the court will impose a death sentence to a defendant if its family members do not grant a pardon," Agung said.
Previously, the Indonesian Consulate General in Jidda had done its best to provide legal aid to prevent the domestic helper from getting the capital punishment.
The consulate general has submitted a request to the Saudi Board of Pardon (Lajnatul Afwu) to acquit Ruyati from the death penalty. Yet her family members did not to give a pardon.
In this regard, the coordinating minister for people`s welfare represented the government in extending deep condolences to Ruyati`s family members.
"This is a lesson for us all, the government, people and would-be Indonesian migrant workers to increase their preparations before they are sent for for overseas employment," the minister said.
In the meantime, head of the National Agency for Placement and Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers, Jumhur Hidayat called on the people not to link Ruyati`s execution with President Susilo Bambang Yudoyono`s regent address on labor affairs in Geneva.
In his address, the president stressed the importance of protection of migrant workers` rights in the domestic and household sector.(*)
(A014/A/H-NG/B003).
Editor: Ruslan Burhani
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
