US EditionIndonesia Repatriates Two Dutch Drug Convicts on Humanitarian Grounds
Two Dutch drug convicts, aged 65 and 74, were repatriated to serve sentences in the Netherlands due to health issues, Indonesia said, amid 90 foreign nationals on death row.
- On Dec 8, Indonesia will repatriate two Dutch convicts to the Netherlands on humanitarian grounds after a deal struck this week; one was transferred from Surabaya Prison to Cipinang Penitentiary on Dec 7.
- Dutch ambassador Marc Gerritsen said on Dec 3 that the Netherlands requested repatriation for humanitarian reasons, while Indonesia's ministers framed transfers as diplomatic tools under President Prabowo Subianto's administration.
- Both men have been held in Indonesian prisons for years, with Siegfried Mets, 74, convicted in the 600,000-pill ecstasy case, and Ali Tokman, 65, arrested Dec 2014 for over 6kg MDMA.
- The prisoners were handed to Dutch authorities at Jakarta prison ahead of an evening flight; they were treated for health issues cited in repatriation requests.
- Despite strict laws, Indonesia has freed several high-profile foreign detainees since 2024; about 530 people remain on death row, including nearly 100 foreigners, the Ministry of Immigration and Corrections reported last month.
24 Articles
24 Articles
Indonesia repatriates drug trafficking convicts to the Netherlands
Indonesia repatriated two Dutch nationals, with one of them on death row, to the Netherlands on Monday, following a bilateral agreement signed between the two countries. Both were convicted of smuggling illegal substances and had served lengthy sentences under the Indonesian drug laws before their repatriation. The two men were facing health problems, partially due to their age, which prompted the Dutch King and the foreign ministry to request t…
According to I Nyoman Gede Surya Mataram, this relocation process was the result of intensive coordination between the Indonesian Government and the Government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Because the men, aged 74 and 65, are struggling with health problems, the country is releasing them on humanitarian grounds.
A Dutch man imprisoned in Indonesia for 17 years has been released. Siegfried M. was facing the death penalty for drug smuggling there, but will be extradited to the Netherlands. He is expected to fly back to the Netherlands with Ali T., another convict, on Monday afternoon.
Associated Press News
Indonesia is repatriating 2 Dutch drug traffickers convicted on drug trafficking charges
Indonesian officials say that two Dutch nationals imprisoned for drug trafficking will be repatriated to the Netherlands on Monday.
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