T

he Foreign Ministry said on Monday that though it would continue to advocate for the release of Satinah binti Jumadi Ahmad '€” a migrant worker set to be beheaded in Saudi Arabia on April 3 for murdering her employer '€” the state would not pay blood money to the family of the deceased to spare her life.

Speaking at a ministry press conference, the director of legal aid and protection for Indonesian nationals overseas, Tatang Budie Utama Razak, said the government would continue to provide assistance to the 41-year-old Central Java native'€™s family through the Coins For Satinah donation fund.

'€œThe government has donated to Satinah'€™s family. Don'€™t confuse that with using state funds. We should not be made to pay [the blood money],'€ said Tatang, explaining that the government had no obligation to use state finances for recompense in criminal cases.

He went on to say that the government had exhausted every avenue of formal diplomacy but would continue lobbying for her release through discrete channels.

Separately, Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Djoko Suyanto revealed that the government had raised 4 million riyals (US$1.07 million) for Satinah, but that fell short of the 7 million riyals for diyat (blood money) demanded by the family.

'€œThe government has asked the family to lower its demand, but they refused. It'€™s become a commodity,'€ Djoko said after a meeting in Yogyakarta.

According to Gatot Abdullah Mansyur, head of the Agency for the Placement and Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers (BNP2TKI), the 4 million riyals had been deposited with the inheritance management body (Baitul-Mal) in Buraidah, Saudi Arabia, for the victim'€™s family to confirm.

Gatot also revealed that the April 3 execution date was not final.

'€œSaudi Arabia reserves the right to keep it a secret. Only God knows,'€ said Gatot, adding that the Saudi government would only inform the family of the accused a day before the execution.

According to Tatang, the Foreign Ministry had handled 66 cases of Indonesian nationals on death
row in Saudi Arabia since 2011, with 39 cases currently in the appeals court.

The ministry had secured the release of 48 Indonesian nationals and migrant workers, he added.

Meanwhile, Satinah'€™s family in Semarang regency in Central Java is hoping for more support from the community so the mother of one child could be spared from death.

'€œOnly the diyat can free my sister,'€ said Paeri, Satinah'€™s younger brother, when reached by phone on Monday.

Satinah stands convicted of killing her employer, Nura Al Gharib, and stealing 37,970 riyals from her in July, 2007, in Gaseem, Saudi Arabia.

After confessing to the crimes, Satinah was imprisoned in Gaseem in 2009, but a higher court sentenced her to death in August 2011. The execution has been postponed three times since then.

The heirs of the victim disclosed they would grant clemency, provided they received the 7 million riyals (Rp 21 billion) in compensation. If the diyat is not paid by April 3, Satinah will be executed.

Meanwhile, material and moral support for Satinah has been flowing in '€” including from celebrities in Jakarta. Paeri said he was surprised the artists, such as Melanie Subono, Anang Hermansyah and Daniel Mananta, were concerned about the fate of his sister.

'€œWe are very grateful to all those who care,'€ said Paeri.

On the TV show, Indonesian Idol, on March 21, he watched a number of artists express their concern over the fate of Satinah. One of the talent judges, Anang, appealed to viewers to support a moral movement to save Satinah.

Host Daniel also appealed to the audience to visit the blog of singer Melanie, who is also a volunteer for Migrant Care campaigning to save Indonesian migrant workers from the death sentence.