Indonesia calls Israel’s new death penalty law for Palestinians a grave human rights violation, urging international action and supporting Palestinian independence.
JAKARTA: Indonesia has condemned Israel’s approval of a new death penalty law for Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
The foreign ministry described the legislation as a “grave violation of international human rights and humanitarian law”.
The law, passed by Israel’s parliament, mandates the death penalty for Palestinians convicted by military courts of deadly attacks deemed “acts of terrorism”. Indonesia has urged Israel to revoke the law immediately.
It also reaffirmed “its full support for the struggle of the Palestinian people to achieve independence”. The statement called on the international community, particularly the United Nations, to take firm action.
The criticism follows the deaths of three Indonesian peacekeepers in Lebanon this week amid regional conflict. The United Nations and European Union have also criticised the Israeli law, while the United States expressed support for Israel’s sovereign right to determine its laws.
Indonesia itself retains the death penalty in its penal code for crimes like drug trafficking. The country has maintained a moratorium on executions for several years, with dozens of traffickers remaining on death row.
Its last executions were carried out in 2016, when one Indonesian and three Nigerian drug convicts were killed by firing squad.