AUSTRALIA ASKS AGO TO STOP NEWS ON DEATH PENALTIES

Jakarta,Feb 16 (ANTARA) - The Australian government has asked the Indonesian Attorney General to curb sensitive announcements to the Australian people like death penalties.

"Just now, an Australian embassy official came (to the Attorney General's Office/AGO), asking to stop sensitive news like death penalties involving Australians for narcotic offences," Head of the Legal Information Center Didiek Darmanto said in Jakarta Tuesday.

Especially, he said, that Australia is currently busy with a general election.

It may be recalled that three Australians grouped in "Bali Nine", are on the death row, but they have filed a judicial review. They are Andrew Chan, Myuran Sukumaran, and Scott Rush.

Three other Australians were also on death row, but their sentence following a judicial review had been changed to life imprisonment. They are Mattew James Norman, Tan Duc Than Nguyen, and Si Yi Cen.
Earlier, the AGO has said that six on death row were ready for execution. They are Meirika Franola (narcotics), Gunawan Santosa alias Acin (narcotics), Bahar bin Matsar (murder), Jurit bin Abdullah (murder), Ibrahim bin Ujang (murder) and Suryadi Swhabuana (murder).

According to the Attorney General's Office (AGO) by December 31, 2009, a total of 112 were on death row, including 43 who were still considering a judicial review and clemency.

Nineteen are asking for clemency to the head of state, 25 filing a judicial review, 17 to appeal to the supreme court, and eight filing an appeal.

In 2009 two on death row had passed away in a Cirebon jail, namely Benged Siahaan on May 26, 2009 due natural causes, and
Edith Yunita Sianturi in the Tangerang women's jail due to natural causes.

Thus a total of 107 are on death row, but six escaped and still at large.