The Indonesian government, according to the minister still is doing its best to ask for pardon for the convicts from the victims` family or from the Board of Pardon in that country.
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Indonesian government is still requesting for clemency for 23 Indonesian migrant workers who are facing death penalty in Saudi Arabia, a minister said.

Law and Human Rights Minister Patrialis Akbar said that the Saudi Government had decided that the 23 convicts could not be released directly because they had to wait for pardons from the families of the victims.

The Indonesian government, according to the minister still is doing its best to ask for pardon for the convicts from the victims` family or from the Board of Pardon in that country.

Patrialis said that the 23 convicts had not yet obtained pardons, including Ruyati who was executed last Saturday and Siti Zaenab whose execution was still pending for grown up of one of the victim`s family members.

In the meantime, a total of 316 problematic Indonesian migrant workers have been unconditionally released and would be repatriated at a cost to be borne by the Saudi government.

But the repatriation would be carried out in stages and up to now a total of 190 have been sent back to Indonesia.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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