"In Saudi Arabia there are 45, in Malaysia 148 and in China 28," the spokesman of the Indonesia Migrant Workers Task Force, Humphrey R Djemat, said.
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - A total of 221 Indonesians are facing the death penalty in three foreign countries, according to the spokesman of the Indonesia Migrant Workers Task Force, Humphrey R Djemat, here on Monday.

"In Saudi Arabia there are 45, in Malaysia 148 and in China 28," he said after attending a meeting between the minister of law and human rights, the coordinating minister of political, security and law affairs and the minister of foreign affairs.

Of the 148 citizens facing the death penalty in Malaysia, 118 were involved in narcotics, 28 in murder and the rest in firearms cases.

All of the Indonesians facing the death penalty in China were involved in narcotics cases while 23 of 45 Indonesian migrant workers facing the death penalty in Saudi Arabia had already been sentenced. They were mostly involved in adultery and black magic cases while the cases of six of them had been settled out of court and the others were still being processed.

Djemat said the task force had found that several cases in Saudi Arabia needed to be reviewed such as those of Warnah and Sumartini.

"Among the cases reviewed by the task force, those involving alleged black magic were no longer relevant as the persons reported to have gone missing by acts of black magic had already returned home. Therefore, the cases of Warnah and Sumartini must be reviewed," he said.

He said he had appointed a lawyer to handle the cases and give advocacy to those facing the death penalty.

Not only in Saudi Arabia, he said he had also set up a law office in Malaysia to provide advocacy to Indonesian migrant workers who are facing the death penalty.

In the future, he said, a memorandum of understanding should be signed by the Indonesian and Saudi as well as Malaysian governments so that the two foreign countries could coordinate with Indonesia with regard to information on Indonesian migrant workers facing problems or legal cases in those countries.

"So far, knowledge about Indonesian migrant workers involved in criminal offenses in Saudi Arabia and Malaysia was only obtained after their cases had reached the courts. We do not want this to happen again. We wish those who are in trouble with the law receive advocacy and justice," he said.

The Indonesian embassy in Malaysia was also ready to give advocacy to workers who were facing legal problems.

On the occasion, Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Djoko Suyanto said the task force had given some recommendations to ensure that in the future migrant workers who had legal problems would have lawyers to advise them and the Indonesian, Malaysian and Saudi Arabian governments would make an MOU on information transparency on Indonesian workers facing problems.

"The task force would end its duty in December 2011. Those are the recommendations that the task force has given to settle migrant worker problems," he said.

The meeting was attended by Law and Human Rights Minister Amir Syamsuddin, his deputy Denny Indrayana and Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa. (*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2011