Igweh Facing court Trial In Indonesian
Michael Titus Igweh, a Nigeria sentenced to death in 2003 for possessing 5.8 kg of heroin, had told a court in tears that the Indonesian police electrocuted his genitals compelling him to admit to the charges filed up against him.
It was reported that Igweh, is among several prisoners on death row whom lawyers and human rights groups are frantically lobbying to save amid claims that they’re tortured and their legal cases riddled with corruption, errors and miscarriages of justice.
“I was constantly beaten, and my genitals electrocuted until I was helpless", He said.
In fact, I was threatened to be shot.” However, sources revealed that the third wave of executions in Indonesia could be held within days. It is understood the Nigerian embassy has now been notified that their national is among those to be killed.
According to the Indonesian human rights group, Imparsial executive director Al Araf, said an anti-death penalty coalition would present the staff of Indonesian President Joko Widodo, with a list of about 7 death row prisoners who had faced unfair trials and miscarriages of justice, saying:
“It is very dangerous to carry out executions when the legal system is fragile and riddled with corruption, error, manipulation and collusion.” Meanwhile, the Supreme Court last week rejected an application for a case review into the case of Igweh. His lawyer, Sitor Situmorang, said that Supreme Court judges should try cases based on the law and not to achieve popularity or appear tough.
He said: “We accepted Michael’s case because we saw it had merit,” Sitor said. He said Igweh’s conviction was based on the testimony of 2 alleged accomplices, Marlena and Izuchukwu Okoloaja, who died in police custody and could therefore not testify in court.
We believe Marlena and Okoloaja gave Michael’s name just so the police would stop torturing them. They were healthy when they’re arrested, they had no history of illness, they all just suddenly died while in police custody. We all know what that means.”
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