Australian politicians and the general public have criticised the Indonesian President’s refusal to show clemency to Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukamaran.
The diplomatic fallout was conveyed by the Australian Government’s recently announced decision to withdraw its ambassador from Indonesia.
MP Chris Hayes, co-chair of the group ‘Australian Parliamentarians against the Death Penalty’ spoke of the legal uncertainties he felt cast doubt on the justice of proceedings.
“In addition to Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukamaran, another casualty here appears to be the rule of law itself”
“The President is required to seek the advice of the Supreme Court of Indonesia on the application of clemency, but the President made a unilateral decision not to receive any application from a drug-related case”
Claims of court bribery were also been made by the former lawyer of the two men, just days before their execution.
MP Chris Hayes spoke of double standards in Indonesian justice,
“The ultimate hypocrisy in all this is that Indonesians have been very forthright in their pursuit of clearance for their own prisoners on death row in other countries. Clearly it smacks of hypocrisy.”
A sense of the ironic was expressed by John Ferguson, National Executive Officer Australian Catholic Social Justice Council, “A penal system that had been so successful was debased when it destroyed them once they were reformed”
“Nothing justifies state sanctioned killing. Nothing justifies taking someone else’s life.”
Mr Ferguson spoke of Pope Francis’ comments on Capital Punishment last month.
“Pope Francis has been very clear about this, saying that it (the death penalty) was contrary to the meaning of divine mercy.”
“He also spoke of the terrible suspense of people who are awaiting execution, which, in the name of correct proceedings tends to last for many years.”
The Catholic Social Justice Council has worked regionally for the abolition of the death penalty.
Image via news.com.au
