JAKARTA: Authorities in Indonesia have executed seven foreigners and one Indonesian convicted for drug smuggling despite international claims, and despite warnings of some countries including Australia and France of the rise of diplomatic tensions should their citizens be executed.
Two Australians, four Nigerians, one Brazilian and one Indonesian were executed by firing squad. While the execution of a Filipina prisoner was postponed following the request of the President of the Republic of Philippines.
The death sentences were carried out Wednesday early in the morning at local time of Nosakambangan, a small island in front of the coast of the Java Island, where exist the Bessie prison in which the convicts were being held.
They were convicted of smuggling various quantities of heroin and other drugs. A French convict called Serge Olawy, was also sentenced to death for drug smuggling, but his execution was withheld at the last moment for unknown reasons.
The nine convicted received a last visit from their families in prison.According to Indonesian law, those sentenced to death have the right to choose to stand, sit or kneel. They are blindfolded, with hands and feet bounded if necessary. Australia, France, the Philippines and Brazil have exerted strong pressure on Indonesia to deter it from the execution of some of their citizens.
These countries warned of a possible diplomatic crisis between them and Jakarta in case of execution of their citizens. The President of the Philippines, urged Indonesian authorities not to execute his convicted citizen to use her testimony to dismantle drug network in the region.
Few hours before the execution, the European Union, France and Australia urged Indonesia not to carry out executions, stressing that “it is not too late” to the authorities to change their opinion.
