Two Elderly Dutch Prisoners Set to Return Home After Indonesia Approves Repatriation

Reuters

ndonesia's Chief Minister for Law and Human Rights, Yusril Ihza Mahendra, and Dutch Ambassador to Indonesia, Marc Gerritsen, attend a meeting as they agree on the transfer of two Dutch nationals convicted of drug crimes, in Jakarta, Indonesia, 2 Dece

Two elderly Dutch nationals convicted of drug offences in Indonesia are due to be repatriated to the Netherlands on Monday, officials confirmed, following the signing of a bilateral repatriation agreement last week.

Siegfried Mets, 74, and Ali Tokman, 65, are the latest in a series of foreign prisoners to be released from death row or life sentences in Indonesia over the past year, joining five Australians, a British woman, a French man and a Philippine woman.

Indonesia’s Ministry of Law and Human Rights formally handed the pair over to Dutch embassy representatives during a ceremony at the prison, in line with the agreement permitting their return on humanitarian grounds.

“This transfer is part of law enforcement and humanitarian cooperation, based on an official request from the Dutch government and subsequently approved by the Indonesian authorities,” said ministry official I Nyoman Gede Surya Mataram.

The two men are scheduled to depart Jakarta at 7:30 p.m. (0030 GMT) for Amsterdam, he added during a press conference following the handover.

Wearing green shirts and masks, Mets and Tokman remained silent as they sat behind officials. Adriaan Palm, the Dutch Deputy Ambassador to Indonesia, expressed gratitude for Indonesia’s decision, describing it as a reflection of the strong ties between the two nations.

It has not yet been confirmed whether the men will be required to serve time upon their return to the Netherlands.

Mets was sentenced to death in 2008 for smuggling and distributing 600,000 ecstasy pills. Tokman received the death penalty in 2015 for smuggling 6 kg (13 lb) of MDMA, though his sentence was later reduced to life imprisonment on appeal.

Both men were reported to be in stable condition prior to departure. The ministry noted that Mets recently received treatment for a fracture sustained in a fall, while Tokman has a history of hypertension.

Source: Reuters



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