Since 2018 The Indonesian Consulate General In Kuching Has Accompanied 47 Indonesian Citizens Involved In Criminal Cases, Some Have Been Acquitted Of The Death Penalty

Ilustrasi penjara. (Ye Jinghan-Unsplash)

JAKARTA - A total of 47 Indonesian citizens (WNI) were entangled in serious criminal cases and were threatened with the death penalty from 2018 to 2022. Dozens of Indonesian citizens were accompanied by the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia (KJRI) in Kuching, Malaysia.

"Thanks to the assistance and protection, of the 47 people who managed to get a reduced sentence, some were even released from the death penalty," said the Consul General of the Republic of Indonesia in Kuching, Raden Sigit Witjaksono in Malaysia, quoted from Antara, Thursday, August 25.

He explained that as many as 47 Indonesian citizens were mostly involved in criminal cases, then drugs, and a few others were involved in murder cases.

"We are accompanying them through an appointed lawyer, and Alhamdulillah 25 of them have been reduced to death sentences, so that some are free from the death penalty," he said.

Sigit added, for those who were declared acquitted, of course it could not be separated from cooperation with the Malaysian side.

As in March, he said, an Indonesian citizen was caught in a drug case and was released from the death penalty, who has now been sent home.

Meanwhile, he continued, for this year there are five Indonesian citizens whose cases will be due in the court of Sarawak, Malaysia.

For these five Indonesian citizens, his party through their lawyers continues to provide assistance and protection by continuing to seek leniency and escape the death penalty.

"In seeking the release of Indonesian citizens from the death penalty, we do not hesitate to make total efforts to provide assistance and protection," he said.

Meanwhile, in the field of handling protection for Indonesian citizens, namely Consular I of the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia in Kuching, Budimansyah added, in providing protection for Indonesian citizens involved in criminal cases in Sarawak, his party provided legal and social assistance.

“This means that for Indonesian citizens who are involved in cases and are threatened with the death penalty, they are given assistance until they appear in court. Then we also prepare a lawyer who has been contracted on a case-by-case basis, this is for legal assistance," he said.

Meanwhile, for social assistance, those who are involved in cases and managed to escape from legal bondage are then accommodated in the shelters that have been prepared while waiting for the completeness of the documents to be sent home (repatriation), he said.

In addition, Budi said, his party also provided assistance for Indonesian citizens who were deported by the Immigration Office of Sarawak, Malaysia.

“So the repatriations are those who are sick and have problems that we send back in collaboration with the Sarawak authorities. Meanwhile, for those who were deported, those who were expelled or repatriated by Malaysian Immigration because they did not have complete passport documents were returned through PLBN Entikong and PLBN Aruk," he said.