AFP, Jakarta :
Indonesian President Joko Widodo has defended his decision to reject clemency for foreigners on death row for drug smuggling, but said he does not rule out abolishing capital punishment in the future.
Indonesian authorities this week moved the two Australian ringleaders of the so-called “Bali Nine” drug trafficking gang from Bali to the prison island of Nusakambangan, indicating they would soon be executed.
They are among a group of drug convicts, including foreigners from France, Brazil, the Philippines, Nigeria and Ghana, who are expected to be executed at the same time on the island.
In an interview to Al Jazeera, Widodo defended his decision to not halt the planned executions, which have sparked diplomatic tensions with Canberra.
“About 4.5 million people need to be rehabilitated because of the drugs. Please do not only see the traffickers but also the impact of the drugs trafficking,” he said.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo has defended his decision to reject clemency for foreigners on death row for drug smuggling, but said he does not rule out abolishing capital punishment in the future.
Indonesian authorities this week moved the two Australian ringleaders of the so-called “Bali Nine” drug trafficking gang from Bali to the prison island of Nusakambangan, indicating they would soon be executed.
They are among a group of drug convicts, including foreigners from France, Brazil, the Philippines, Nigeria and Ghana, who are expected to be executed at the same time on the island.
In an interview to Al Jazeera, Widodo defended his decision to not halt the planned executions, which have sparked diplomatic tensions with Canberra.
“About 4.5 million people need to be rehabilitated because of the drugs. Please do not only see the traffickers but also the impact of the drugs trafficking,” he said.
