Government prioritizes repatriating Indonesians jailed abroad

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Coordinating Ministry for Law, Human Rights, Immigration, and Corrections emphasized that the government will focus on repatriating Indonesian prisoners currently incarcerated in foreign countries.

During a meeting on the Indonesian prisoners' repatriation here on Wednesday, the ministry's Deputy for Immigration and Corrections, I Nyoman Gede Surya Mataram, noted that the number of Indonesians facing death sentences and life imprisonment abroad is quite significant.

"To this end, we should not only carry out transfer (of prisoners to abroad) but also request for prisoner transfer (to the country)," he noted in a statement.

However, he underscored the importance of preparing a legal basis and well-defined criteria for these prisoner transfers.

Hence, he invited all parties to jointly formulate the steps for repatriating Indonesian convicts to the country.

Mataram explained that priority would be given to Indonesian prisoners serving life sentences when considering repatriation.

Similarly, a representative from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dicky Yunus also emphasized the need for clear criteria governing the repatriation of Indonesian prisoners and the establishment of a legal framework for prisoner transfers.

On a separate occasion, Immigration and Corrections Minister Agus Andrianto noted that the Indonesian government had repatriated seven foreign prisoners through three practical agreements with Australia, the Philippines, and France in 2024.

In a meeting with Commission XIII of the House of Representatives (DPR) at the Parliamentary Complex, Jakarta, on Wednesday, he outlined that those seven foreigners comprised five foreigners from Australia, one from the Philippines, and one from France.

He attributed these prisoner transfers to humanitarian considerations and the keenness to maintain sound relations with other countries.