(MENAFN- The Journal Of Turkish Weekly) The African Union (AU) Commission has urged Indonesia to show clemency to eight foreign nationals € including four Nigerians € set to be executed by firing squad at midnight Tuesday for drug-related offenses.
The appeal was made by AU Commission Deputy Chairperson Erastus Mwencha during a meeting with Indonesian special envoy to the AU Imam Santoso.
"While reiterating the AU's commitment to fighting drug trafficking in all its aspects and its full respect for Indonesia's sovereignty and judiciary, he [Mwencha] made an urgent appeal for clemency," an AU press release said Tuesday.
Mwencha, the release said, had "encouraged Indonesia to consider the possibility of signing prisoner-transfer agreements that would make it possible for convicted foreign citizens to serve out jail terms in their home countries."
Four Nigerians are among the nine convicts € eight foreigners and one Indonesian € set to be executed by firing squad midnight Tuesday after being issued 72-hour execution notices on Saturday.
The other foreigners include two Australians, a Brazilian and one Filipino. Along with appeals by their home countries for the sentences to be commuted, their cases have attracted international attention.
According to the AU press release, Santoso has pledged to relay the AU's concerns to the relevant authorities in Indonesia through the Foreign Ministry.
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