Swaraj: Trying to save Jalandhar man facing firing squad in Indonesia

NEW DELHI: Jalandhar resident Gurdip Singh is among 14 people who could face a firing squad this week when Indonesia resumes executing prisoners, prompting foreign minister Sushma Swaraj to say on Wednesday that New Delhi is making “last minute efforts” to save him.

Amnesty International has criticised the Indonesian government’s decision to go ahead with the execution of 10 foreigners and four Indonesians, saying some of the prisoners who could face the firing squad were “convicted in manifestly unfair trials and have not submitted clemency request to the President”.

Singh, 48, was found guilty of trying to smuggle 300 grams of heroin into Indonesia in 2004 and was sentenced to death by the state district court at Tanggerang in Banten province in February 2005. He was sentenced to death along with a Brazilian even though prosecutors had recommended a 20-year jail term for Gurdip.

He also retracted a statement he had made against Pakistani national Zulfiqar Ali, who is among the prisoners who could be executed this week. Singh admitted he was coerced into making the false admission against Ali in return for a lenient sentence for himself.