Indonesia’s Prabowo is repatriating foreign drug convicts. Critics say it’s about politics

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto’s plan to transfer foreign convicts on death row to their home countries has been hailed by advocates against the death penalty, but critics say the move is also an attempt to “whitewash” his dark past.

Some observers have also suggested the bid could threaten the country’s rule of law.

The Prabowo administration’s move to transfer the sentenced persons is welcomed by an Indonesian death penalty abolitionist group, Network Against Death Penalty.

“We appreciate the collaborative efforts of the Governments of Indonesia and the Philippines who agreed to resolve the case of death row convict Mary Jane Veloso through the Transfer of Prisoner diplomacy. This moment is a significant development in her struggle to obtain justice that has been going on for almost 15 years,” the group said in a statement on November 21.

It also urged the government to immediately determine definite and measurable steps and timelines for Veloso’s transfer to the Philippines.