Indonesia
Death penalty and prisoners' rights · Archive since 1999
Data card
- Legal status
- Retentionist
- Executions recorded in 2026
- 0
- Executions recorded in 2025
- 0
- First news item in the archive
- JANUARY 1, 1999 · A Singaporean national, one Steven alias Tan Ching...
- News items in the archive
- 644
Source: Hands Off Cain database, updated to 2026.
Indonesia is classified as Retentionist in the Hands Off Cain database, updated to 2026. In 2026 the association recorded 0 executions in the country, against 0 the year before. The archive holds 644 news items on Indonesia, from 1999 to today.
Latest news
- APRIL 8, 2026IndonesiaDEATH PENALTY
INDONESIAN GRANDMOTHER FREED FROM MALAYSIA’S DEATH ROW AFTER 15 YEARS RETURNS HOME
An Indonesian grandmother who spent about 15 years on death row in Malaysia for drug trafficking on April 2, 2026 returned home after receiving clemency
- DECEMBER 10, 2025IndonesiaDEATH PENALTY
INDONESIA SENDS HOME TWO DUTCH CONVICTS, ONE ON DEATH ROW, AFTER REPATRIATION DEAL
Two Dutch prisoners convicted of drug offences left Indonesia for the Netherlands on December 8, 2025 night, after both nations signed a repatriation deal last week.
- OCTOBER 22, 2025IndonesiaDEATH PENALTY
INDONESIA TO REPATRIATE TWO BRITISH NATIONALS, INCLUDING A GRANDMOTHER ON DEATH ROW
Indonesia signed an agreement on October 21, 2025 to repatriate two British nationals, including a seriously ill grandmother who had been on death row for more than a decade on drug charges, a minister said.
SEPTEMBER 15, 2025IndonesiaDEATH PENALTYINDONESIA: FOUR MEN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
The Medan District Court on June 25, 2025 sentenced four men to death for trafficking 40 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine.
SEPTEMBER 10, 2025IndonesiaDEATH PENALTYINDONESIA: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR TRAFFICKING ECSTASY PILLS
A North Sumatra court on September 4, 2025 sentenced 36-year-old M. Alfarisi to death for acting as a courier in the trafficking of nearly 4,833 ecstasy pills.
- JULY 30, 2025FranceDEATH PENALTY
FRANCE: SERGE ATLAOUI RELEASED AFTER YEARS ON INDONESIA DEATH ROW
A Frenchman who spent almost two decades on death row in Indonesia over drug offences before being returned to France left prison on July 18, 2025 after being granted a conditional release.
MAY 12, 2025IndonesiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: GET THEM LEGAL ASSISTANCE, SAYS HC ON 3 INDIANS SENTENCED TO DEATH IN INDONESIA
The Delhi high court on May 2, 2025 directed the Indian Consulate in Indonesia to take urgent steps to ensure proper legal representation and assistance for three Indian nationals sentenced to death by an Indonesian court.
MARCH 11, 2025EthiopiaDEATH PENALTYINDONESIA: MINISTRY PROVIDES LEGAL AID FOR INDONESIAN ON DEATH ROW IN ETHIOPIA
The Indonesian Foreign Ministry has vowed to provide legal aid to Linda Yuliana, an Indonesian citizen facing the death penalty in Ethiopia after being convicted in a drug smuggling case.
- FEBRUARY 6, 2025FranceDEATH PENALTY
FRENCHMAN ATLAOUI RETURNS TO PARIS AFTER REPRIEVE FROM DEATH ROW IN INDONESIA
A Frenchman reprieved after 18 years on death row in Indonesia for alleged drug offences landed back in France on February 5, 2025, an airport source said.
- DECEMBER 4, 2024FranceDEATH PENALTY
FRANCE REQUESTS TRANSFER OF DEATH ROW CONVICT HELD IN INDONESIA
France has asked Indonesia to transfer a French death row convict, who has been jailed for drug crimes in the country since 2005, a senior minister told AFP on November 29, 2024.
- NOVEMBER 25, 2024IndonesiaDEATH PENALTY
THE PHILIPPINES GETS INDONESIA TO REPATRIATE A WOMAN ON DEATH ROW FOR DRUG SMUGGLING
Intense and sustained diplomatic work between Indonesia and the Philippines has paved the way for the repatriation of Mary Jane Veloso, who was sentenced to death in 2010 on charges of drug trafficking, Asia News reported on November 20, 2024.
- SEPTEMBER 17, 2024IndonesiaDEATH PENALTY
INDONESIA FREES NIGERIAN ON DEATH ROW FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
A Nigerian, Emmanuel Ihejirika, previously sentenced to death for drug trafficking in Indonesia, has been released after years in prison.
MAY 9, 2024IndonesiaDEATH PENALTYINDONESIA: MEDAN COURT SENTENCES THREE DRUG TRAFFICKERS TO DEATH
The Medan District Court on May 8, 2024 found three defendants, including a woman dubbed the "drug queen" by local media, guilty of trafficking and sentenced them to death.
APRIL 29, 2024IndonesiaDEATH PENALTYINDONESIA: MEDAN COURT SENTENCES 45 KG METH DEALER TO DEATH
The Medan District Court in Indonesia on April 24, 2024 sentenced a prisoner who was behind the distribution of 45 kg crystal methamphetamine to death.
- OCTOBER 30, 2023IndonesiaDEATH PENALTY
INDONESIA: 8 IRANIANS SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR DRUG SMUGGLING
An Indonesian court on October 27, 2023 ordered that eight Iranian nationals be executed for smuggling more than 700 pounds (300 kg) of crystal methamphetamine by sea into Java.
AUGUST 9, 2023IndonesiaDEATH PENALTYINDONESIA: TOP COP'S DEATH SENTENCE FOR MURDER COMMUTED TO LIFE IN PRISON
A senior police official sentenced to death for murdering his bodyguard has had his punishment commuted to life in prison by Indonesia's Supreme Court, an official said August 8, 2023.
APRIL 17, 2023IndonesiaDEATH PENALTYINDONESIA: PRESIDENT GRANTS ‘UNPRECEDENTED’ CLEMENCY TO DEATH ROW DRUG CONVICT
Indonesian President Joko Widodo has granted clemency to a woman who spent more than 20 years on death row for drug smuggling, the convict’s lawyer said on 14 April, 2023.
- APRIL 12, 2023IndonesiaDEATH PENALTY
INDONESIA: JAKARTA HIGH COURT UPHOLDS DEATH SENTENCE FOR FERDY SAMBO
Death row inmate Ferdy Sambo had his appeal rejected by the Jakarta High Court on April 12, 2023, two months after he was convicted by a district court of murdering former subordinate Brigadier Nofriansyah Yosua Huatabarat and condemned to death.
- FEBRUARY 23, 2023IndonesiaDEATH PENALTY
INDONESIA: EX-POLICE GENERAL SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR ORDERING OFFICER’S MURDER
A former police general found guilty of ordering the killing of his bodyguard and covering up the murder was sentenced to death by a Jakarta court on 13 February 2023.
- OCTOBER 20, 2022IndonesiaDEATH PENALTY
INDONESIA MULLS INTRODUCTION OF A ‘PROBATIONARY’ DEATH PENALTY
When Indonesia recently unveiled the latest plans to overhaul its ageing Criminal Code, one of the articles that caught everyone’s eye was the one about the death penalty.
APRIL 6, 2022IndonesiaDEATH PENALTYINDONESIA: TEACHER SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR RAPING 13 STUDENTS
An Indonesian teacher found guilty of raping 13 students at an Islamic boarding school, and who impregnated at least eight of the victims, was sentenced to death on 4 April 2022.
- SEPTEMBER 19, 2021IndonesiaDEATH PENALTY
INDONESIAN REPATRIATED AFTER MALAYSIAN COURT OVERTURNS DEATH PENALTY
Indonesian Consul General in Kuching Yonny Tri Prayitno on 8 September 2021 confirmed the consulate offered legal and repatriation assistance to Indonesian Ical Samerin, 36, whose death penalty verdict was overturned in Malaysia.
- JULY 7, 2021IndonesiaDEATH PENALTY
INDONESIA: MORE INDONESIANS OPPOSE DEATH PENALTY
While the majority of the Indonesian people are in favor of death penalty, their support for it declines as they learn more about the scope of judicial killing or are shown with specific circumstances such as unfair trials.
APRIL 22, 2021IndonesiaDEATH PENALTYINDONESIA: SIX TERRORISTS GET DEATH PENALTY FOR DEADLY RIOT
The East Jakarta district court on 21 April 2021 sentenced to death six terrorists responsible for the deadly riot at a detention center outside Jakarta in May 2018.
- APRIL 8, 2021IndonesiaDEATH PENALTY
INDONESIA: DRUGS GANG OF 13 SENTENCED TO DEATH BY FIRING SQUAD
Indonesia on 6 April 2021 handed death sentences to a gang of 13 drug traffickers, including an Iranian couple and a Pakistani man, the prosecutor’s office said.
DECEMBER 9, 2020IndonesiaDEATH PENALTYINDONESIA: EAST ACEH COURT HANDS DOWN DEATH SENTENCE TO DRUG SMUGGLER
The Idi District Court in East Aceh, Aceh, sentenced M. Kasem bin Abdullah, 35, to death on 3 December 2020 after finding him guilty of smuggling 45 kilograms crystal methamphetamine from Malaysia into Indonesia in April 2020.
- JULY 9, 2020IndonesiaDEATH PENALTY
INDONESIA: SOME 100 DRUG OFFENDERS SENTENCED TO DEATH THIS YEAR
Indonesian National Police Chief Idham Azis said on 2 July 2020 that around 100 drug offenders across the country have been given capital punishment since the beginning of this year.
APRIL 28, 2020IndonesiaDEATH PENALTYINDONESIA: BINTAN DISTRICT COURT HANDS DEATH SENTENCE TO THREE DRUG SMUGGLERS
The Tanjung Pinang District Court on 27 April 2020 awarded death sentence to Syahrul bin Tue, Zaihiddir alias Kam bin Ajis, and Ahmad Jufri bin Zainuddin for smuggling 118 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine into Indonesia on 30 August 2019.
APRIL 19, 2020IndonesiaDEATH PENALTYINDONESIA: TWO DRUG COURIERS IN SOUTH SUMATRA SENTENCED TO DEATH
The Palembang District Court on 16 April 2020 awarded the death penalty to two drug couriers and sentenced one more person to life imprisonment for trafficking drugs.
FEBRUARY 27, 2020IndonesiaDEATH PENALTYINDONESIA: THAI DRUG SMUGGLERS DODGE DEATH PENALTY IN BALI
Two Thai women convicted of smuggling methamphetamine into Bali on 26 February 2020 escaped a possible death sentence on the Indonesian holiday island after a court sentenced them to 16 years in jail.