Nabiila Azzahra, Jakarta – Amnesty International Indonesia has called on the government to suspend all executions and commute sentences of all death row inmates. The human rights organization said Indonesia's stance on the death penalty remains unchanged, despite no executions occurring in recent years.
"We urge law enforcement in Indonesia to follow the global trend by officially declaring a moratorium on all executions and commuting the sentences of all individuals on death row," said Amnesty International Indonesia Deputy Director Wirya Adiwena in a written statement on Tuesday, April 8.
Amnesty noted that while more countries abandon the death penalty, Indonesia's position stays static. The country last carried out executions in July 2016. However, Indonesian courts continue to impose death sentences.
According to Amnesty International Indonesia's records, at least 85 people were sentenced to death in 75 cases in 2024. The majority – 57 cases involving 64 defendants – were drug-related. The remaining 18 cases, involving 21 defendants, were for murder. Between January and March 2025 alone, courts sentenced 21 people to death in 21 separate cases.
Notable examples that took place this year include a narcotics case where judges at the Medan District Court, North Sumatra, handed down a death sentence on March 6. In another case, prosecutors at the Kabanjahe District Court, also in North Sumatra, sought the death penalty for three defendants on March 17 for the murder of a journalist and three of his family members.
Amnesty also highlighted that Indonesia's new Criminal Code (KUHP), set to take effect in January 2026, still includes the death penalty. The difference is it will no longer be considered a primary punishment, unlike under the current code.
Courts continue issuing death sentences even after the government returned foreign nationals previously facing execution in Indonesia – Mary Jane Veloso from the Philippines and Serge Atlaoui from France. While their cases highlight Indonesia's diplomatic efforts, Amnesty sees this as a half-hearted approach to abolishing capital punishment.
"The repatriation of foreign death row inmates is only a partial move and does not indicate a shift in Indonesia's overall stance on the death penalty," Wirya said.