By NNN-Antara
Tangerang : The government of Indonesia through its foreign ministry has urged Saudi Arabian courts to mete out heavy punishment against the employers of two Indonesian female domestic helpers accused of torturing the duo to death.
“We have sent this message through our consul in Riyadh to Saudi Arabian law enforcers to heed our call for the enforcement of justice against the perpetrators,” Director of the Indonesian Workers Protection at the Foreign Ministry Teguh Wardoyo told Antara here on Saturday.
According to him, torture – the apparent cause of death of two Indonesian domestic helpers in Saudi –was against the principles of human rights and also religious tenets.
He made the statement at the Soehartno Hatta`s Terminal II while waiting for the arrivals of the bodies of two Indonesian domestic helpers — Siti Tarwiyah and Susmiyati – from Riyadh by a Saudi Air passenger plane.
Siti Tarwiyah was working at the house of her employer identified as Yahya Madhid Al Syagatsrah in Al Mamlukah region about 350 km from Riyard since October 2006.
Nine months after her employment with the family, she had communicated to her family that all was well and had sent about Rp5.7 million back to Indonesia.
However, during the past three months, Siti Tarwiyah stopped contacting her family. On Aug 8, her family was notified of her death.
In the meantime, Susmiyati was employed with the family of Mubarak Hamad Al Syagain as a domestic helper since January 2007.
Her employer reportedly tortured Susmiyati to death. The employer is trying to persuade Susmiyati husband to accept compensation from them – as provided by the Saudi law – in order to avoid custodial sentence.