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Three Indonesian Workers Freed From Death Row Returning Home
December 28, 2011

A number of Indonesian migrant workers at the Indonesian General Consulate A number of Indonesian migrant workers at the Indonesian General Consulate's TKI shelter in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Nov. 31. (Antara Photo/File)
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Three Indonesian female migrant workers who were freed from death sentences in Saudi Arabia are returning home to Indonesia over the next two weeks.

The workers are Bayanah binti Banhawi, Jamilah binti Abidin Rofi’i and Neneng Sunengsih binti Mamih. Bayanah arrived on Wednesday at Soekarno-Hatta Airport. Jamilah will arrive on Thursday and Neneng will arrive in a week or two after the completion of her exit permit.

Jumhur Hidayat, the head of the Indonesian Migrant Worker Placement and Protection Agency (BNP2TKI), explained that the Indonesian government, through the Indonesia Representative in Saudi Arabia and the Indonesian Worker Task Force, actively sought protection for domestic workers especially in dealing with the release of workers under death sentences.

Bayanah was employed as a domestic worker for Abdullah Omar Al Munthairi’s family in Riyadh. Bayanah was accused of the murder of her employer’s four-year-old child and was detained at Al Malaz Prison in Riyadh on April 5, 2006.

“She was accused of breaking the hands of the child who had brain defects and accidentally scalded the child with hot water from the bathroom sink when Bayanah changed his diapers, which resulted in the death of the child,” Jumhur said.

In the trial on July 15, 2007, the family demanded the death penalty. There was not enough evidence in the case for the death penalty to be employed, so the court sentenced Bayanah to five years and one month in prison and 300 lashes.

On March 22, 2009, Bayanah’s employer forgave her, but she was still subject to fines in the form of payments amounting to 55,000 riyal ($14,666). The Indonesian Embassy paid the fines in full.

On Oct. 26, 2011, the Chairman of the Indonesian Workers Task Force, Maftuh Basyuni, met the Governor of Riyadh and asked for Bayanah’s release. On Oct. 30, 2011, the Governor’s office sent a telegram to the prison freeing Bayanah.

In the second case, Jamila was accused of murdering her employer, Salim Al Ruqi, in Mecca. Jamila claimed he tried to rape her. Jamilah had been detained at the Mecca General Prison since March 14, 2007.

On May 19, 2009, the court found Jamilah guilty and sentenced her to death for murdering her employer after fighting with him.

Jamilah was visited in prison by the Indonesia consulate general of Jeddah on January 17, 2011. They prepared a request letter for the panel of judges to exempt her from the death penalty because she acted in self-defense.

In May 2011, Jamilah received forgiveness from the victim’s family through his son, Ali Al Seha Ruqi, in the presence of King Abdullah. Jamilah was not forced to pay a diyat [monetary compensation].

In the third case, Neneng Sunengsih was accused of killing her employer’s four month-old baby after feeding the baby milk. She was released from Al-Jouf Prison in Riyadh because the case could not be proved in court.

Antara