Indonesia and the Netherlands have signed a deal to return two aged Dutch nationals jailed in Indonesia for drug offences – one on loss of life row and the opposite serving a life sentence.
The Dutch authorities had requested their repatriation “on humanitarian grounds”, it mentioned in a press release on Tuesday.
Each males have been experiencing well being issues, Indonesian authorities mentioned.
Siegfried Mets, 74, was sentenced to loss of life in 2008 for smuggling 600,000 ecstasy tablets. Ali Tokman, 65, was sentenced to loss of life in 2015 for smuggling 6kg of MDMA, however later had his sentence commuted to life imprisonment.
Mets is imprisoned within the capital Jakarta, whereas Tokman is held within the metropolis of Surabaya.
In its assertion, the Dutch authorities mentioned it “extremely appreciates the cooperation of the Indonesian authorities”.
The Indonesian authorities accepted their repatriation in October and mentioned that the destiny of the 2 males could be determined by the Dutch authorities.
The pair are set to return to Amsterdam on 8 December, Indonesian authorities mentioned.
The repatriation settlement was signed in Jakarta on Tuesday by Yusril Ihza Mahendra, Indonesia’s coordinating minister for regulation and human rights. Dutch overseas minister David van Weel signed the deal just about.
Marc Gerritsen, the Dutch Ambassador to Indonesia who attended the ceremony in Jakarta, mentioned he was “very grateful” that Indonesia has allowed the 2 males to be “nearer to their households”.
Yusril beforehand mentioned that there have been 5 Dutch nationals serving prison sentences in Indonesia – although the Dutch authorities solely requested for the repatriation of the 2.
There are round 500 prisoners on loss of life row in Indonesia, in response to the regulation ministry. A lot of them have been convicted of drug offences.
The nation has been repatriating foreigners on loss of life row for well being causes.
Final month, Indonesia repatriated two British prisoners convicted of drug offences: 69-year-old Lindsay Sandiford, a grandmother who was sentenced to loss of life in Bali in 2013; and 35-year-old Shahab Shahabadi, who was arrested in 2014 and handed a life sentence.
In February, French nationwide Serge Atlaoui returned dwelling after being held on loss of life row in Indonesia since 2007 for drug offences.
