BERLIN - The UN human rights office has called on Indonesia to refrain from executing convicted drug smugglers, saying that the death penalty won't stop narcotics trafficking.
Ten smugglers from Australia, Nigeria, the Philippines, Brazil, France, Ghana and Indonesia are scheduled to be executed soon.
The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights says “there is no evidence that the death penalty deters drug crimes.”
Rupert Colville, a spokesman for the Geneva-based agency, said Friday that the government of Indonesia should exercise its right to grant the convicts clemency.
He said carrying out the executions would weaken Indonesia's position when arguing on behalf of its own nationals facing the death penalty abroad.
