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Tengrinews.kz – Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Alibek Bakaev shared details regarding the detention of Kazakh citizens in Indonesia.
What happened
Earlier, Kazakhstan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that two Kazakh citizens had been detained in Indonesia on suspicion of committing a criminal offense related to illegal drug trafficking.
Kazakhstan’s embassy in Jakarta is in contact with the investigative authorities and the relatives of the accused. The matter is under the supervision of Kazakh diplomats.
Kazakh citizens requested consular assistance
According to Deputy Minister Alibek Bakaev, the Indonesian side is conducting an investigation regarding the citizens of Kazakhstan.
"As soon as the Indonesian side reaches a decision, we will be informed about it. For our part, we are not remaining silent — our embassy is working, our consuls are active. You asked whether there is contact with these citizens. When nationals of third countries are arrested, the authorities of that country inform the respective embassies about the detention of their citizens. The consul is in contact," said Alibek Bakaev in the Senate hallways.
According to him, the detained Kazakh citizens themselves requested consular assistance. At the same time, Kazakhstan and Indonesia currently have no bilateral agreement on the exchange of convicted citizens.
"As of today, no such documents have been signed with Indonesia. However, since 2014, the Kazakh side has submitted a proposal for signing such agreements to the Indonesian side. Until now, there were no such cases, so there was no practical need for signing them. Now that the need has arisen, I believe the process will speed up," Bakaev added.
As a reminder: Indonesian media earlier reported the arrest of a U.S. citizen and two Kazakh citizens on the popular resort island of Bali for alleged drug-related crimes.
The Kazakh nationals were arrested in April this year, with approximately 49 grams of crystal methamphetamine found in their possession. The detainees were charged with drug distribution and could face the death penalty.
How drug offenses are punished in Indonesia
In Indonesia, the death penalty is prescribed for possession and illegal trafficking of drugs. The maximum punishment — life imprisonment — may be imposed if the quantity of prohibited substances exceeds one kilogram for unprocessed drugs such as marijuana, or five grams for processed drugs such as heroin and cocaine.
