Two Indonesians released from death row in Malaysia

Jakarta Post

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Thursday said he appreciated efforts to save two Indonesian migrant workers from the sentence of death in Malaysia.

"I extend my gratitude to our embassy in Kuala Lumpur, the lawyers and other government players who have worked hard to have Heni Herawati and Indah Kumala Sari saved from a death penalty sentence," the President said on his Twitter account @SBYudhoyono.

He said that the government had been making every effort to have more than 140 Indonesian migrant workers worldwide freed from death penalty sentences.

"But I really hope that all Indonesian nationals living abroad would obey the law and not commit crimes," he said, as quoted by the Antara news agency.

Yudhoyono further said that if Indonesian nationals abroad had their death penalty sentences commuted, the leaders of those countries would ask the Indonesian government to do the same for their citizens.

Heni Herawati and Indah Kumala Sari have since been released from prison and are now at the Indonesian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur awaiting transit back to Indonesia.