Norway asks Indonesia to halt executions

Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg has asked Indonesia's President Joko Widodo to halt the executions of drug offenders, who include two Australians.

Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg has reportedly asked Indonesia's President Joko Widodo to halt the executions of Australians Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan.

Ms Solberg visited Jakarta for bilateral talks on Tuesday and afterwards told the Norwegian newspaper Verdens Gang that she "asked explicitly not to implement the imminent death sentences".

She said Mr Joko had responded that it was part of Indonesia's legal system and that Indonesia faced a huge drug problem.

"My experience is that they are listening," Ms Solberg said.

"But it is important to mobilise internal support to liquidate the death penalty.

"We as politicians must always point this out to politicians from Indonesia, but I think it's just as important what civil society in Indonesia says."

Sukumaran, 33, and Chan, 31, await execution on a central Java island for their roles in the Bali Nine effort to smuggle heroin out of Indonesia in 2005.

The Norwegian newspaper on Tuesday splashed a story about Sukumaran, who worked with Norwegian academics and students to initiate rehabilitation programs in Kerobokan prison, where he spent most of the past decade.

Student Espen Nordstrom has met Sukumaran around 20 times and told the newspaper the Australian regretted the choices he had made when he was younger.

"He always seemed incredibly quiet and had a big smile," he said.

Sukumaran turns 34 on Friday, an occasion that is being marked in London with an exhibition of his paintings, held with the support of Amnesty International.

The Australian pair and eight other drug offenders are next in line for the firing squad, but Jakarta has not set a date.

Norway is firmly against capital punishment. It has strong ties with Indonesia in various areas, including conservation, climate change and energy.


Share

2 min read

Published

Updated


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world