JAKARTA, RAKYAT NEWS – The Indonesian Minister of Law, Human Rights, Immigration, and Prisons, Yusril Ihza Mahendra, has strongly denied claims that the Indonesian government has freed Mary Jane Veloso, a Filipina national sentenced to death for drug trafficking.

According to Yusril, the government’s actions are not a release but a transfer of prisoner, allowing her to complete her sentence in the Philippines.

Yusril clarified that Mary Jane’s transfer follows the procedure for transferring prisoners between countries.

The Indonesian government, he said, is not releasing her but simply moving her to her home country.

“There is no word of ‘release’ in President Marcos’s statement,” Yusril said, referring to a statement by Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. “‘Bring her back to the Philippines’ simply means returning her to her home country.”

The Indonesian government’s decision to transfer Mary Jane is based on a formal prisoner transfer agreement between Indonesia and the Philippines.

Yusril emphasized that any country requesting such a transfer must first acknowledge and respect the final judicial decisions made in Indonesia regarding the convicted individual’s sentence.

Yusril went on to outline several conditions that must be met for a prisoner transfer. These include the requirement that the country requesting the transfer must respect Indonesia’s court ruling, and that the prisoner must serve the remainder of their sentence in their home country as determined by Indonesian law.

Additionally, the country requesting the transfer is responsible for covering the costs of the transfer and ensuring the security of the prisoner during the process.