Death penalty cited at Indonesia UN review

Australia has again called on Indonesia to reinstate a moratorium on the death penalty as part of a human rights review at the United Nations in Geneva.

Australia has called on Indonesia to reinstate a moratorium on the death penalty at the United Nations, just days after the second anniversary of the executions of Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan.

Delegations from more than 100 countries handed down their recommendations to Indonesia on Wednesday afternoon in Geneva as part of a Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of human rights improvements and challenges.

Australia the United Kingdom used the forum to call on Indonesia to immediately reinstate a moratorium on the death penalty.

Delegates for the UK said they were "deeply concerned" about the execution of 18 prisoners since 2014.

A sentiment Australia echoed, which also recommended Indonesia ensure adequate and early representation for people whose cases could attract the death penalty, as well as the scrapping of such a punishment to those with mental illnesses.

The calls come just days after the second anniversary of the deaths of Sukumaran and Chan, who were executed by firing squad on April 29 after being found guilty of smuggling 8.3kg of heroin out of Indonesia 10 years before.

In July 2016, Indonesia executed a further four prisoners for drug offences.

Indonesia defended the use of the death penalty, with Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly saying: "It is our conviction that the rights of the offenders must always be weights against the rights of the victims, their family and the rights of the community to live in peace and security."

Other issues raised was the "deterioration" of LGBT rights in the archipelago, as well as restrictions of freedom of speech.

The US called on Indonesia to end all prosecutions of people under 156 and 156a of the criminal code.

These offences have been used to prosecute Jakarta's outgoing Christian governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, aka "Ahok", for alleged blasphemy over comments he made referring to the Koran.

He is due to hear the outcome of his trial next week.


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Source: AAP


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