Yusril: Malaysia And Saudi Arabia Ready To Return Indonesian Prisoners If Requested

Coordinating Minister for Law, Human Rights, Immigration, and Correction Yusril Ihza Mahendra//ANTARA/Fath Putra Mulya.

JAKARTA - Coordinating Minister for Law, Human Rights, Immigration and Correction Yusril Ihza Mahendra said the Malaysian and Saudi Arabian governments are ready to repatriate prisoners of Indonesian citizenship if the Indonesian government sends an official request.

Yusril explained that the Indonesian government had held initial discussions with the Malaysian and Saudi governments regarding this matter.

"The Malaysian government is ready at any time we ask them to be returned to Indonesia ... the Saudi government says they welcome (welcome) with our request," said Coordinating Minister Yusril as quoted by ANTARA, Thursday, October 9.

The majority of Indonesian prisoners abroad are in the two countries. According to Yusril, there are around 5,800 Indonesian citizens in various prisons in Malaysia, 82 of whom are death row inmates.

A total of 79 out of a total of 82 Indonesians sentenced to death in Malaysia have been forgiven by the local court. Three people are still in the process, "said Yusril, while saying that no Indonesian death row convicts in Malaysia were executed.

Meanwhile, regarding Indonesian prisoners in Saudi Arabia, Yusril did not elaborate on the number further. The local government, said the Coordinating Minister, stated that at any time Indonesia could submit a request for repatriation of prisoners to the King of Saudi Arabia.

"Adgreen light (green light) from them to fulfill Indonesia's request to transfer our prisoners from Saudi Arabia here," he said.

Even so, Yusril admitted that repatriation of Indonesian prisoners from abroad requires in-depth coordination. Because, at this time, prisons in the country are full of shortness of breath.

"Now that we suddenly move more than five thousand of our prisoners from Malaysia here, it will also cause internal problems that we must prepare first," he said.

Meanwhile, the Indonesian government on Thursday stated that it had given a "green light" to the Dutch government's request to repatriate two narcotics convicts who were sentenced to death and life imprisonment in Indonesia.

The governments of Indonesia and the Netherlands are currently drafting a technical agreement to repatriate the two inmates. The repatriation will be carried out after the agreement is signed by representatives of the two countries in the near future.