UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein [official profile] on Wednesday urged Indonesia to halt the imminent executions of 14 individuals, convicted mainly for drug-related offenses. The executions are set to take place as early as Friday on Nusa Kambangan island in central Java. Zeid called for an immediate moratorium on the death penalty, expressing grave concern over Indonesia’s use of the practice:

The increasing use of the death penalty in Indonesia is terribly worrying, and I urge the Government to immediately end this practice which is unjust and incompatible with human rights. … I find it deeply disturbing that Indonesia has already executed 19 people since 2013, making it the most prolific executioner in South-East Asia. … The death penalty is not an effective deterrent relative to other forms of punishment nor does it protect people from drug abuse. The focus of drug-related crime prevention should involve strengthening the justice system and making it more effective.

Zeid called on the government to work with his office to devise alternate strategies to combat drug-related crime.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo [BBC profile] has remained firm in his stance that drug smugglers must face harsh penalties despite international criticism. Last year a spokesperson for the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) [official website] urged [JURIST report] the Indonesian government to halt all executions of people convicted of drug-related offenses. Also last year Brazil and the Netherlands recalled their ambassadors from Indonesia after an Indonesian firing squad executed six convicted drug traffickers [JURIST report], sparking international condemnation from human rights groups and foreign leaders.