But police reform advocates have said that capital punishment may not push the country toward progress, considering how systemic many of the force’s problems are.

In a hearing on Monday, the South Jakarta District Court found Ferdy guilty of the premeditated murder of his aide-de-camp, Brig. Nofriansyah Yosua Hutabarat, and of tampering with evidence to orchestrate a cover-up. He was sentenced to death, well beyond the life imprisonment demanded by prosecutors.

The verdict was greeted by cheers from spectators in the courtroom. Expressions of relief were also prevalent on social media, with many commending presiding judge Wahyu Imam Santoso for giving the former police general a punishment that many thought fair.

Rosti Simanjuntak, the mother of murder victim Yosua, was in the audience when the judge read out Ferdy’s verdict and sentence, holding onto a framed photograph of her son.

She broke down in tears and was swiftly escorted out amid the barrage of reporters and spectators who surrounded her.

“Our family is pleased to say that we are satisfied, since [the ruling] is in line with our expectations,” Rosti later told the press, as quoted by Kompas.com.

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