Families of slain workers want justice
Relatives of two migrant workers killed in Saudi Arabia and of two others seriously injured have demanded justice for the Saudi family allegedly involved in the torture and killings.
While waiting for the arrival of the bodies of Susmiyati binti Mat, 26, and Siti Tarwiyah, 31, at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on Saturday, the women's families said they would not pardon the alleged killers.
No pardon for the killers. For the sake \n of justice, the Saudi Arabian court should punish them as harshly as possible," Siti's husband, Hamid said as he wiped tears from his eyes.
Under Saudi law, convicted killers sentenced to death can escape execution if they are pardoned by the family of the victim.
Susmiyati's younger brother, Supomo, said \n the family had received an official pardon request from the killers, "but we have decided not to give it. Justice must be upheld in the case".
The two bodies arrived in Indonesia Saturday afternoon aboard a Saudi Arabian Airlines flight.
The bodies had been kept for 58 days in a Riyadh hospital, for autopsies and during the police investigation.
Siti's body was flown from Soekarno-Hatta airport to Surakarta, Central Java, aboard a Garuda Airlines flight. It was then transported overland to her hometown of Ngawi, East Java.
Susmiyati body was flown to Semarang before being transported overland to Pati, Central Java.
Families of Susmiyati and Siti received compensation of Rp 65 million (US$7,100) each from an insurance company that provides coverage for migrant workers, and Rp 10 million each from the labor export company that sent them to Saudi Arabia.
The two died in August after they, along \n with two other Indonesian migrant workers, Rumini and Tari, were tortured by seven members of the family employing them in Alfaj, a village south of Riyadh.
The Indonesians had been accused of practicing black magic on their employer's sick son.
Rumini and Tari, who are still recovering from their injuries, are still in Riyadh providing testimony for the lower court hearing the case.
Tari's husband, Deden, and Rumini's older brother, Ahmad, called on the government to expedite the return of the two women to Indonesia.
Director General for the Protection of Indonesian Citizens at the Foreign Ministry, Teguh Wardoyo, who was at Soekarno-Hatta airport on Saturday, said Tari and Rumini were being held as witnesses at Malaz Prison in Riyadh, and would return home as soon as they finished testifying.
Migrant Care executive director Anis Hidayah called on the government to reach a bilateral agreement with Saudi Arabia to ensure the protection of Indonesians working in the country.
"This case is no longer an individual case because numerous Indonesian workers have been abused, raped and killed in the Middle East," she said.
"The government should also revise labor export procedures to ensure that only trained workers are sent abroad. Many workers sent overseas are not educated or trained in language and job competence."
Wahyu Susilo
Head of Advocacy and Networking Division
International NGO Forum on Indonesian Development (INFID)Jl.
Mampang Prapatan XI/23
Jakarta 12790
While waiting for the arrival of the bodies of Susmiyati binti Mat, 26, and Siti Tarwiyah, 31, at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on Saturday, the women's families said they would not pardon the alleged killers.
No pardon for the killers. For the sake \n of justice, the Saudi Arabian court should punish them as harshly as possible," Siti's husband, Hamid said as he wiped tears from his eyes.
Under Saudi law, convicted killers sentenced to death can escape execution if they are pardoned by the family of the victim.
Susmiyati's younger brother, Supomo, said \n the family had received an official pardon request from the killers, "but we have decided not to give it. Justice must be upheld in the case".
The two bodies arrived in Indonesia Saturday afternoon aboard a Saudi Arabian Airlines flight.
The bodies had been kept for 58 days in a Riyadh hospital, for autopsies and during the police investigation.
Siti's body was flown from Soekarno-Hatta airport to Surakarta, Central Java, aboard a Garuda Airlines flight. It was then transported overland to her hometown of Ngawi, East Java.
Susmiyati body was flown to Semarang before being transported overland to Pati, Central Java.
Families of Susmiyati and Siti received compensation of Rp 65 million (US$7,100) each from an insurance company that provides coverage for migrant workers, and Rp 10 million each from the labor export company that sent them to Saudi Arabia.
The two died in August after they, along \n with two other Indonesian migrant workers, Rumini and Tari, were tortured by seven members of the family employing them in Alfaj, a village south of Riyadh.
The Indonesians had been accused of practicing black magic on their employer's sick son.
Rumini and Tari, who are still recovering from their injuries, are still in Riyadh providing testimony for the lower court hearing the case.
Tari's husband, Deden, and Rumini's older brother, Ahmad, called on the government to expedite the return of the two women to Indonesia.
Director General for the Protection of Indonesian Citizens at the Foreign Ministry, Teguh Wardoyo, who was at Soekarno-Hatta airport on Saturday, said Tari and Rumini were being held as witnesses at Malaz Prison in Riyadh, and would return home as soon as they finished testifying.
Migrant Care executive director Anis Hidayah called on the government to reach a bilateral agreement with Saudi Arabia to ensure the protection of Indonesians working in the country.
"This case is no longer an individual case because numerous Indonesian workers have been abused, raped and killed in the Middle East," she said.
"The government should also revise labor export procedures to ensure that only trained workers are sent abroad. Many workers sent overseas are not educated or trained in language and job competence."
Wahyu Susilo
Head of Advocacy and Networking Division
International NGO Forum on Indonesian Development (INFID)Jl.
Mampang Prapatan XI/23
Jakarta 12790
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