RI worker may escape execution for murder
RI worker may escape execution for murder
JAKARTA (JP): An Indonesian worker facing execution for murder
in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, may escape death because the family of
the victim, his own wife, pardoned him yesterday.
Dimyati Usro, 40, reportedly killed his Indonesian wife
Jumanah last year after a quarrel. There has so far been no
official statement on whether the man has been found guilty, but
labor activists from the Solidaritas Perempuan (Women's
Solidarity) organization said that he had.
The organization sent The Jakarta Post a copy of the family's
statement of mercy. Signed by Jumanah's mother and her two
children from a previous marriage, the statement said the family
"sincerely" forgave Dimyati, whose real name is Kangkung Amaq
Nali.
"We hope the court will consider (lifting the death sentence
from Dimyati) after we grant him mercy," the family said in the
statement.
Copies of the letter have been sent to the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, for forwarding to the Indonesian consular general's
office in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and to the Ministry of Manpower
and the media.
Under Islamic laws applied in Saudi Arabia, only pardon from a
murder victim's family can save a convicted murderer from
execution. Those condemned to death are beheaded by sword.
Jumanah's mother Inaq Natih, 60, and her children, 19-year-old
Ratna Diwi and 17-year-old Rusdianto, issued the pardon from
their home village of Kawo, Pujut subdistrict, Lombok Tengah
regency, West Nusa Tenggara.
The village lies 50 kilometers east of Mataram, the provincial
capital.
Jumanah's real name of Peku Binti Amaq Natih was cited in the
letter. She was 35 years old and, according to Antara yesterday,
she went to Saudi Arabia with Dimyati on Umrah (minor haj
pilgrimage) visas early last year.
The news agency said Dimyati, who is being held in the Al
Islahiyah prison in Mecca, allegedly killed his wife in April
last year.
Dimyati's brother, Usman, said the couple left for Saudi
Arabia through the Central Java town of Cilacap. They changed
their names to Dimyati and Jumanah for reasons which have yet to
be clarified.
Dimyati has four children from his first marriage, Supartin,
17, Dewi Sartikawani, 15, Alawi, 10, and Jamilah, 7.
Dimyati and Jumanah married three months before departing for
Saudi Arabia.
Dimyati's first wife, Lum, followed the couple to work there
as a maid and was aware of the murder. She returned home in order
to tell Jumanah's family.
Last year, Indonesians were shocked to hear that a migrant
worker, Solehah Anam Kadiran, was beheaded in Mecca last
September for killing her employer.
The public were further outraged when they learned that
Nasiroh Karmudin, another female Indonesian worker in Saudi
Arabia, was facing execution for a similar crime.
Intensive diplomatic efforts worked in Nasiroh's favor and she
escaped the death penalty after one of the murdered man's wives
pardoned her. Nasiroh still has to complete a five-year prison
term, which ends in September.
Yesterday, labor exports expert, Yunus Yamani, urged the
Ministry of Manpower to again send the Association of Labor
Export Companies' (Apjati) team of lawyers, who were successful
in attempts to commute Nasiroh's execution.
"Apjati must accept their moral responsibility to defend our
migrant workers abroad, especially those who are currently facing
trouble," he was quoted by Antara as saying.
The large number of problems caused and faced by Indonesian's
employed in Saudi Arabia prompted the government to launched a
massive airlift operation last November which brought about
24,000 workers home.
There are 600,000 Indonesians working legally in Saudi Arabia.
Most of them are women. (aan)