Death Sentences are Increasing in Jokowi's Era, Imparsial is Asking for Evaluation
Monday, October 11th, 2021 16:58 WIB
KBR, Jakarta – The Independent Human Rights Monitor Imparsial encourages the government to abolish the death penalty in Indonesia.
Imparsial researcher Amalia Suri said as many as 177 people were sentenced to death during President Joko Widodo's second term in office.
He asked the government to evaluate the death penalty system, which is considered to still leave a number of problems.
“The main thing, of course, is to evaluate. The people currently awaiting execution were noticed again. It is possible that there are many unfair trials or unfair judicial practices. Also to remove the death penalty from our legal system. If it's a moratorium, it's good for the short term. But as soon as the regime changes, it changes again. So, it should be abolished," Amalia said at the discussion event "The Death Penalty is the Highest Peak of Gender-Based Violence Against Women" which was held online, Monday (11/10/2021).
Amalia Suri said the death penalty during the pandemic is problematic. She said the trial conducted via video teleconference was not maximal in revealing the material truth in a crime.
"In addition, the pandemic situation is increasingly making people economically squeezed. Many become drug couriers because they are under pressure," said Amalia.
Furthermore, she said, the death penalty is not in line with the goals of modern punishment. She continued, the death penalty is nonsensical, like a revenge fetish.
Amalia also hopes that the concept of restorative justice is truly implemented in the justice system in Indonesia.
"It's like an eye for an eye. Killed to kill. In fact, the purpose of punishment now is not like that. Criminalization now functions as an instrument of social correction. But Indonesia instead chose the death penalty, even though it was a shortcut because we were too lazy to improve the legal system in our country," he said.
In Imparsial's records, 177 people have been sentenced to death from various levels of court. The details of the case include; 131 drug-related cases, 3 cases of rape and murder, 12 cases of premeditated murder, 14 cases of murder, and 7 cases of terrorism.
Of all the 177 people, 171 of them which are male and 6 which are female. Meanwhile, 166 people are Indonesian citizens, 6 Malaysian citizens, 2 Thai citizens, 2 Pakistani citizens, and 1 Yemeni citizen.
Imparsial also noted that during the first five years of President Joko Widodo's term alone, 221 people were sentenced to death. This number beats the death penalty since the period of President BJ Habibie to Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono or from 1998-2013, namely 197 cases of death sentences.
In total, during his administration from 2014-2021, there have been around 398 death sentences.
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