Holland Offers Extradition Agreement

VIVAnews - The Netherlands offered an extradition agreement to the Indonesian government. The agreement concerns 10 Dutch citizens currently serving prison time in Indonesia.

"[The agreement] will be attached in a memorandum of understanding," said Minister of Justice and Human Rights, Andi Mattalata, on Wednesday, Jan 14.

Out of the 10 convicted Dutch nationals, two are facing the death sentence for being involved in a drug trafficking case.

The Netherlands, said Mattalata, wanted the jailed Dutch citizens to serve a shorter term of imprisonment. According to Mattalata, if the convicts are sentenced to under 20 years of imprisonment, the government may grant them up to two remissions.

However, he said, if the prisoners are sentenced to death, "the decision will be in the President's hands." But the death sentence status may be altered to a life imprisonment. "It can be settled diplomatically," said Mattalata.

The memorandum of understanding is expected to be signed by the Dutch Minister of Justice, Ernst Hirsch Ballin, in February. "He will visit [Indonesia] in February," said Mattalata.

In addition to the extradition, the Dutch government will also follow up on its partnership with Indonesia concerning transfer of sentence treatment, capacity building of the Department of Justice and Human Rights' employees and mutual legal assistance.

Translated by: Bonardo Maulana Wahono