PDIP Politician Calls for Elimination of Death Penalty

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The House of Representatives' (DPR) Commission I member Charles Honoris said that the death penalty in Indonesia must be abolished immediately.

“Because [the penalty] does not have a deterrent effect,” said Charles in a discussion on the prospect of the elimination of the death sentence in the country broadcasted on Amnesty International Indonesia’s Youtube account on Tuesday, April 21.

The PDIP politician assessed that the distribution of illegal drug cases was still rampant although the death sentence was mostly imposed on the narcotics convicts. In fact, drug dealers could still run their businesses from prison.

Instead of the execution, Charles suggested the government improve the law enforcement system and prison management.

Based on Amnesty International's data, the number of new cases of death sentence in Indonesia increased to 80 in 2019, from the previous year’s 48 cases.

Out of the total new cases, 60 cases related to the narcotics trade, 18 cases related to murder, one case of child rape, and one case related to terrorism.

Amnesty also noted that as of date, Indonesia has 13 regulations stipulating death penalty, including the Criminal Code (KUHP), the Military Criminal Code (KUHPM), Emergency Law No. 12/1951 on firearms, and Law No. 31/1999 on corruption eradication, Law No. 15/2003 on terrorism, and Law No. 35/2009 on narcotics.

FRISKI RIANA