Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian Government is considering requests from the governments of Australia, the Philippines, and France regarding the repatriation of their citizens serving prison sentences in the country.
Coordinating Minister for Legal, Human Rights, Immigration, and Penitentiary Affairs Yusril Ihza Mahendra said that during a limited Cabinet meeting here on Friday, President Prabowo Subianto ordered ministers to respond to requests from several countries for the repatriation of citizens who have been convicted in Indonesia.
"Three countries have submitted (requests) to our government: the Philippines, Australia, and France. And we have made a lot of progress in this regard," Mahendra informed.
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He said that the agreement between the Indonesian and Philippine governments was made with a "practical agreement" on the repatriation of prisoners from Indonesia.
Meanwhile, the government is still finalizing negotiations with Australia, which are expected to be completed soon.
"So the agreement with the Philippines is final, while with Australia is still in process. Hopefully, in the next few days, maybe next week, it can be resolved," he informed.
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Meanwhile, the prisoner repatriation agreements with the French Government and other countries that have submitted such requests are still being studied and analyzed.
According to Yusril, whether or not the repatriation of prisoners is granted would depend on further coordination with other law enforcement agencies/officials, such as the Attorney General and the Chief of Police.
"It has been a lot of progress that we have achieved; it will be realized in the near future. Hopefully, in December, everything will be completed," he added.
