Execution of death row in Nusakambangan imminent?

The island of Nusakambangan is closed for a week to visitors adding to the speculation that execution of death row prisoners on the island a few miles off this southern Central Java coastal town, is imminent.

The government has planned execution of a number of drug convicts meted out with death sentence now held at various prisons in the country. The execution is to be carried out on the island.

A number of people planning to cross to the island to visit relatives held in the Nusakambangan prison have to turn back and return home from the Wijayapura port here on Monday.

One of the people Nasiroh (60) said she was disappointed as she was not allowed to see her son serving jail term at the Besi prison on the island.

"They said visit to Nusakambangan was closed for a week," she said, adding the port officers refused to give reason.

Port authorities said the decision to close visit for week had been made known to the relatives of the prisoners, but they also refused to give reason.

Observers said the execution of more drug death row prisoners looked to be take place soon on the island.

Visit to the island was also closed when the government was about to carry out executions of death row prisoners earlier.

On Sunday, Merry Utami, believed to be one of the convicts to face the firing squad, was moved from her cell in Tangerang , Banten, to Besi prison on Nusakambangan adding the specualtion of imminent execution.

Earlier, Attorney General M Prasetyo said the next round execution of drug death row prisoners under the present government would take place soon.

All preparations had been made for the third round of execution in cooperation with the Central Java police, Prasetyo said.

The attorney general referred to third round of execution of death penalty under the present government.

Last year, 14 drug convicts with death penalty were executed on the same island in January and April.

Foreigners such as from Australia, Brazil, Nigeria, made up most of the convicts executed last year.

The execution drew sharp criticism including from home and abroad but President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has repeatedly said he would not give clemency to drug convicts.

Source: ANTARA