Saudi King Pardons 325 Indonesians

(Riyadh, Saudi Arabia)

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah has pardoned more than 325 Indonesian inmates, including housemaids, said an Indonesian official in Riyadh on Tuesday.

The decision to set free the workers followed talks between Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Saudi Ambassador Abdulrahman M. Amen Al-Khayyat in Jakarta Tuesday.

“The list of names covered by royal clemency has been sent to us by the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs and covers mainly violators of local rules and those who committed petty crimes, as well as some detainees involved in illegal sex,” said Hendrar Pramutyo, an official of the citizen protection wing at the Indonesian Embassy.

Note that imported workers are often jailed for simply violating local rules or committing petty crimes, arguably misdemeanor offenses.