By APD writer Aditya Nugraha

JAKARTA, Oct. 31 (APD) -- Indonesian government sent protest note over recent execution of national female migrant worker by authorities in Saudi Arabia as it was done without prior official notification.

The execution against Tuti Tursilawati was conducted in Saudi Arabia city of Thaif on Monday as government’s relentless efforts to free her from death sentence were underway at present.

“It (the execution) was regrettable as it was done without official notification to us,” Indonesia President Joko Widodo said to respond the execution here on Wednesday.

The protest note was handed over directly by Indonesia Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi to Saudi Arabia ambassador for Indonesia after he was summoned to the ministry’s premises on Tuesday, the ministry’s Citizen Protection and Legal Assistance Director Lalu Muhammad Iqbal said.

The executed Indonesian migrant worker Tuti Tursilawati

Lalu said talks about possibilities to free Tuti Tursilawati from her sentence was also featured during Retno’s meeting with her visiting Saudi Arabian counterpart Adel bin Ahmed Al Jubeir here last week.

Indonesia’s then-president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and current president Joko Widodo also had sent letters to Saudi Arabian king in 2011 and 2016 respectively to ask pardon for the national migrant worker, he added.

He added that Indonesian embassy in Saudi Arabia provided lawyers for Tuti Tursilawati in legal proceedings related to her case.

Tuti, who was originally came from West Java province’s city of Majalengka, was charged of committed planned murder crime against her employer in May 2010.

The crime she committed was categorized as in highest grade of fatality in Saudi Arabia legal code that could not be forgiven by the victim’s families or the king himself, Lalu said.

Saudi Arabia court sentenced death penalty against Tuti Tursilawati in June 2011.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)