By Delisa Morris
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America
BRASÍLIA, Brazil– Shortly after midnight on Sunday in Indonesia a Brazilian drug smuggler was executed by firing squad. The execution was performed against the pleas of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, and human rights group Amnesty International.
Marco Archer Cardoso Moreira , 53, was arrested in Indonesia in 2003, after police at Jakarta airport found 13.4 kg of cocaine hidden in his hang glider.
Moreira was the first Brazilian national to be executed abroad. The nation warned that the execution would damage relations between the two countries.
Five other convicts from Indonesia, Malawi, Nigeria, Vietnam and the Netherlands, were executed on Sunday. Each one convicted on drug charges.
The prisoners faced a firing squad in Central Java province: five were executed on the island of Nusa Kambangan and the other one, a Vietnamese woman, was executed in the small central Javanese town of Boyolali.
In a statement President Rousseff said that she was “outraged and dismayed”. “Relations between the two countries have been affected” continued President Rousseff.
“The Brazilian ambassador to Jakarta has been recalled for consultations,” she added.
Brazil is not the only country outraged by Indonesia’s actions, The Netherlands has taken action of its own and also recalled its ambassador. Foreign Minister Bert Koenders called the execution of Dutch citizen Ang Kiem Soe, 52, “an unacceptable denial of human dignity and integrity”.
Indonesia is tough on criminals convicted of drug crimes, with some of the world’s toughest drug laws. The country resumed executions in 2013 after an unofficial four-year moratorium.
The country’s Attorney General Muhammad Prasetyo said “hopefully, this will have a deterrent effect”.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo has previously stated that he will show no mercy to drug criminals, because they have ruined the lives of so many others.
President Widodo rejected a plea for clemency from President Rousseff on Friday. President Rousseff told President Widodo that she respected the sovereignty and judicial system of his country but as a mother and head of state she was making the appeal for humanitarian reasons.
Apparently, President Widodo stated that he understood the Brazilian president’s concern but said he could not commute the sentence as the full legal process had been followed.
Moreira said in a video recorded by a friend that he regretted trying to smuggle cocaine into Indonesia.
“I am aware that I committed a serious offence, but I believe I deserve another chance. Everyone makes mistakes.”
Brazil abolished the death penalty in times of peace in 1889.
For more information, please see:
the guardian – Brazil and Netherlands recall Indonesia ambassadors over drug executions – 18 Jan. 2015
BBC News – Brazil ‘outraged’ by Indonesia drug trafficking execution – 17 Jan. 2015
The Wall Street Journal – Brazil Says Indonesia Rejected Clemency for Brazilian Drug Smuggler – 16 Jan. 2015
Bloomberg – Indonesian Execution of Brazilian Triggers Ambassador Recall – 17 Jan. 2015
