Foreign Ministry: Kazakhs in Indonesia Drug Case Could Be Executed

Two Kazakh citizens arrested in Indonesia on suspicion of drug trafficking could face the death penalty, Orda.kz reports.

Speaking at a June 30 briefing, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Aibek Smadiyarov called the likelihood of capital punishment “quite real.”

He emphasized that the case is still under investigation and that no trial has taken place. Kazakh diplomats are currently in contact with the detainees’ families and working to secure good legal representation.

They can only be returned home when court decisions come into force. And for that, a bilateral agreement on the exchange of convicted persons is still needed. Unfortunately, we do not have this with Indonesia, but our diplomats will make every effort to find some understanding with the local authorities,
Smadiyarov stated.

When asked directly about the chances of a death sentence, he responded:

Smadiyarov declined to provide additional personal details, citing privacy concerns from the detainees’ families.

I don’t know about their profession, but they are young men. And their relatives, to be honest, don’t want more detailed information to be disclosed. You know, in Southeast Asia, in any of these countries, there is a very severe punishment for this ( drug trafficking - Ed.),
 he said.

The two Kazakhs were arrested in April in Bali.

A third suspect, a U.S. citizen, was detained in May. All three were allegedly found in possession of methamphetamine and face potential execution by firing squad, as stipulated under Indonesian law.

Original Author: Zhadra Zhulmukhametova