Indonesia to execute Dutch drugs magnate

Radio Netherlands Worldwide, Published on 17 November 2009 - 2:21pm

Dutch national Ang Kiem Soei, who was arrested for production of the illegal drug Ecstasy, is about to be executed in Indonesia, according to local sources speaking to Radio Netherlands Worldwide.

Ang Kiem Soei was sentenced to death for running an Ecstasy manufacturing laboratory and an international organisation of drug traffickers. He was jailed in Indonesia seven years ago.

He lost an appeal to his verdict and has now exhausted all legal avenues to avert his execution. His lawyer wrote to the Dutch government last year pleading for more help. The government in The Hague decided to pay the costs of Ang Kiem Soei's defense and that of a second convict, Dick Nicolaas.

The lawyer claims the court procedures which led to the conviction were unsound.

The Dutch Foreign Ministry said in a reaction that it is surprised about the reports suggesting an impending execution. No signals have reached the ministry to indicate that such a course of events was likely. The ministry pointed out that the prisoner's request for a review of the death penalty is still under consideration with the Indonesian authorities.