Indonesian President Joko Widodo

INDONESIA: PRESIDENT RULES OUT CLEMENCY FOR DEATH-ROW DRUG CONVICTS

December 2, 2014: Indonesian President Joko Widodo ruled out granting clemency to convicted drug traffickers sentenced to death, a senior minister said. 
The sentences should be carried out for convicts who have exhausted all avenues for appeals, said Tedjo Edy Purdijatno, the coordinating minister for political, legal and security affairs, the Media Indonesia newspaper reported. 
"They can control drug transactions from inside their cells," Tedjo was quoted as saying. "This has to stop."
Justice Minister Yasonna Laoly said Joko had ordered authorities to take "strong and firm action" against drug traffickers, according to Media Indonesia.
"Because it [the drug problem] is a national emergency," he said.   
The justice minister said 68 people were currently on death row for drug offences. 
One is a 58-year-old British woman, Lindsay Sandiford, who was convicted in 2013 of smuggling cocaine onto the resort island of Bali.
Her appeal to have the death sentence commuted was rejected by the Supreme Court, and her only hope of avoiding an execution is presidential clemency.  (Sources: dpa, 02/12/2014)