VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

A panel of judges at the Tokyo High Court on Tuesday (13/7) acquitted 2 Indonesian citizens with the initials A and I on charges of smuggling methamphetamine into Japan in 2019. Previously at the trial in the first instance, A and I were found guilty and sentenced to 6 years in prison and a fine of 2 million Yen each.

Indonesian Ambassador to Japan, Heri Akhmadi, as reported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday (19/7), welcomed the verdict of the Tokyo High Court which had released both Indonesian citizens. He also appreciated the hard work of the Indonesian Citizen Protection Team of the Indonesian Embassy in Tokyo along with a team of lawyers who for 2 years provided legal assistance for both of them.

Ambassador Heri Akhmadi further stated that the protection of Indonesian citizens in Japan will continue to be an important priority for his mission in Japan. He also emphasized that A and I have gone through a legal process in Japan, considering that all Indonesian citizens while abroad are required to comply with local laws. In the future, according to Ambassador Heri, cases A and I can be a lesson not to easily trust people who are not known and want to leave their goods abroad.

Both Indonesian citizens were repatriated to Indonesia on Saturday (17/7). Before returning to Indonesia, they stayed at the Indonesian Embassy Protection shelter in Tokyo. They were even facilitated to take a walk in downtown Tokyo and buy souvenirs for their family. Both of them expressed their gratitude for the support and assistance of the Indonesian Embassy in Tokyo, since being arrested by the Japanese police and spending days in prisons in Chiba and Tokyo, until the trial process. Facilitated by the Indonesian Embassy in Tokyo, A and I always receive news and encouragement from their families in Indonesia.