Saudi Execution of Tuti Tursilawati Hurts Bilateral Relations

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Amnesty International Indonesia accused Saudi Arabia of hurting the ethics of diplomacy after the country executed Indonesian citizen Tuti Tursilawati without informing the Indonesian government prior to the execution.

“For umpteenth time Saudi Arabia has hurt the diplomatic ethics of both countries that should have put forth the respect for human rights,” said Amnesty International Indonesia Executive Director Usman Hamid in his statement on Tuesday, October 30.

Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi eventually filed an official complaint to the Saudi Arabian government for the uninformed execution. Meanwhile, Usman maintained that death sentences are inhumane and violate the right to life guaranteed under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).

This led to Usman to issue criticism toward the Indonesian government that still upholds the death penalty. “It just isn’t logical that Indonesia requests another country to release one of its citizen from the death row when Indonesia itself still practices the inhumane and violent punishment,” said Usman.

Amnesty International Indonesia also suggested President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo to take proactive steps upon notifying the Saudi Arabian government of Indonesia’s protest. Tuti Tursilawati was executed on October 29 at Thaif, Saudi Arabia.

ANTARA