Anger in Indonesia as Saudi Arabia Executes Maid who Killed Employer in ‘Self-Defence’

An Indonesian maid in Saudi Arabia has been executed for killing her employer during a rape attack.

Ms Tursilawati, who was working in the city of Ta’if, was found guilty of killing her employer in June 2011.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo called Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister, Adel al-Jubeir, demanding to know why Jakarta had not been informed about Monday’s execution of mother-of one Tuti Tursilawati.

It was the fourth time in three years that Saudi Arabia had failed to notify Jakarta before executing an Indonesian migrant worker.

‘We have called Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister and conveyed our protest,’ Mr Widodo was quoted as saying by the office of his cabinet secretary.

Indonesian advocacy group Migrant Care said in September that Ms Tuti Tursilawati had been defending herself from being raped.

The office of the cabinet secretary cited the Migrant Care assertion.

The Saudi ambassador to Indonesia had been summoned to discuss the matter, the president said.

‘The kingdom of Saudi Arabia has ignored principles of human rights, including a right for everyone to live,’ said Abidin Fikri, a member of Indonesia’s parliament.

Ms Tursilawati was executed just a week after al-Jubeir, met his Indonesian counterpart, Retno Marsudi, and Mr Widodo in Jakarta to discuss migrant workers’ rights.

During the meeting, Mr Marsudi emphasised the importance of having a mandatory consular notification before carrying out death penalties.

Indonesia’s Government has also called for a thorough probe into the death of Jamal Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist and a critic of Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.