Indonesia has executed a convicted drug-trafficker - the fifth person to be put to death since March this year - in what could be a worrying sign for two Australians on death row in Bali.
Pakistani man, Muhammad Abdul Hafeez, a convicted drug-trafficker was executed by firing squad at a South Tangerang cemetery on the southern outskirts of the capital Jakarta early last Sunday morning. Hafeez, 44, was sentenced to death in 2001 for attempting to smuggle more than a kilo of heroin into Indonesia.
The execution of the Pakistani came amid rising nationalism ahead of next year's presidential elections and increased tensions between Jakarta and Canberra over the spying scandal.
Earlier this year, the Indonesian government announced a renewed push to execute those convicted of capital offenses. The Indonesian Attorney-General's Office had already announced it would execute at least 12 people this year. A spokesman for the Attorney-General's Office, Setia Untung Arimuladi, said more executions would be scheduled.
Death row prisoners are executed by firing squad in Indonesia. They are typically informed of their impending death only 72 hours before the execution. Executions are carried out by firing squad and typically take place late at night/early morning in remote secret locations.
A firing squad is normally composed of several soldiers or police officers. All members of the execution team are instructed to fire simultaneously, to prevent both disruption of the execution process by a single member and identification of the member who fires the lethal shot. The prisoner is typically blindfolded or hooded, as well as restrained and tied to a pole. Executions can be carried out with the prisoner either standing or sitting. The execution team all aim at the prisoner's heart. Upon a signal of a swift downward sword stroke from the squad commander, they fire a shot at the prisoner's heart, from a distance of between five and 10 metres. If the prisoner is still alive (which is often the case), the deputy squad commander then aims at the prisoner's head at close range, presses the muzzle of his gun and fires another one or two 'finishing shots'.
Currently, more than 140 people are on death row in Indonesia, mostly for drug related crimes. About a third of them are foreign nationals.
Two Australians remain on death row in Indonesia - Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran - both of whom were sentenced to death in 2005 for their roles in a plot to smuggle more than eight kilos of heroin out of Bali to Australia. Both men have lodged appeals for clemency from the Indonesian President Dr Yudhoyono and are awaiting his decision. The clemency appeals are their last avenue for avoiding the death penalty.
Read more .... http://www.smh.com.au/world/indonesia-executes-drug-trafficker-20131119-...
