Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The government denounces the execution of an Indonesian maid in Saudi Arabia last Saturday (June 18), spokesman of the Foreign Affairs Ministry Michael Tene said here on Sunday.

According to information, Ruyati binti Sapubi was executed following her confession in the court that she had killed a Saudi woman last year. However, the background behind the murder was not clear.

"Without abandoning the system that applies in Saudi Arabia, the Indonesian government denounces that the local government did not inform our embassy about the time of execution," said Michael here on Sunday.

He explained staff of the Indonesian Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, during the trial session for Ruyati`s case always provided adequate protection for the maid. He said the embassy staff always accompanied Ruyati during every trial and tried to get a clemency from the victim`s family which would let go Ruyati from death penalty.

However, Michael said, the Indonesian Embassy in Riyadh did not get notification from Saudi authorities about the execution of Ruyati last Saturday.

He said in response to the case, the Indonesian government would soon send a letter to the Saudi ambassador in Jakarta to express its concern over Ruyati`s fate.

"We will also call on the Indonesian ambassador to Saudi Arabia to have a joint consultation," he said.

Meanwhile, Amnesty International last week had called on the Saudi Arabian authorities to halt resorting to the death penalty following a significant increase in executions in the country in the past six weeks.

At least 27 people have been executed in Saudi Arabia this year alone, and the same number in the whole of last year. Fifteen people were executed in May alone.

"The Saudi Arabian authorities must halt this horrible pattern, which puts the country at odds with the worldwide trend against the death penalty," said Philip Luther, Amnesty International`s Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa.

"Amnesty International is aware that of over 100 prisoners, many of whom foreigners are on the death row. The Saudi authorities must immediately stop executions and commute all death sentences with a view to abolishing the death penalty," he added.
(Uu..A051/H-NG/S012)

Editor: Priyambodo RH
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