After receiving news of the case in September, the Indonesian Embassy in Riyadh advocated for the release of the citizen, identified only as SBB, and coordinated with local law enforcement agencies.

“In the span of 11 months, the advocacy team attended 23 trial sessions, 11 visitations to the prison, 10 communication sessions with the family, including two visits to SBB’s family home in Jember, and three instances of diplomatic correspondence,” the ministry said.

The embassy’s advocacy team consisted of diplomats, lawyers and translators who conducted legal assessments and provided legal representation for SBB.

On March 24, after a series of hearings, a lower court cleared SBB of the charge that would have carried the death penalty. The verdict was upheld by an appeals court on May 7.

The court did, however, find SBB guilty of providing inconsistent statements during the trial. She was nonetheless allowed to return to Indonesia.

SBB arrived in Indonesia on Monday and was reunited with her family on Wednesday.

According to the ministry, SBB is a migrant worker who entered Saudi Arabia illegally in 2022 on a tourist visa arranged through a middleman to work as a housemaid.

As of July, 25 Indonesians worldwide had been released from charges that would have carried the death penalty, whether because the charges were dropped or they received a commuted sentence. Most of the cases took place in Malaysia.

The government is currently assisting 155 Indonesians facing the death penalty abroad. (nvn)