Satinah Binti Jumadi Ahmad, an Indonesian maid on death row in the Kingdom, may be executed next month if her family or the Jakarta government fails to raise the needed amount of blood money.
Indonesia is required to pay SR7 million to the family of the deceased to save the life of Satinah, 40, who is facing the death penalty for murdering her employer and fleeing with SR37,500 cash back in 2007.
Ahrul Tsani Fathurrahman, a spokesman at the Indonesian Embassy, said: “The embassy is still working hard to convince the victim’s family to forgive Satinah and it is further negotiating the blood money amount.”
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah postponed the maid’s execution in 2010 to allow the maid’s family and the Indonesian government to negotiate with the victim’s family for pardon.
A report published in “The Jakarta Globe” said the victim’s family initially asked for SR10 million in blood money, but the two sides finally agreed on a payment of SR7 million, the report added. The Indonesian side is still negotiating with the family to reduce the amount. Satinah is facing the execution for murdering her employer Nura Al-Garib. She already admitted to killing the employer, but said it was an accident.
Satinah said Al-Garib was trying to hit her head against a wall when she struck the victim in the neck with a rolling pin in self defense. The case is drawing widespread attention, especially in the Indonesian media, as the date of execution for Satinah nears.
“We fear that the execution may happen in February if the blood money is not paid,” said another source, preferring anonymity.
Spokesman Fathurrahman expressed happiness that the Kingdom released two migrant workers, Karsih Binti Ochim and Salma Binti Ujang, who were previously detained in the Malaz Prison in Riyadh. “Both maids were in prison since 2009 and were arrested in different cases,” said the spokesman, adding that the maids have been repatriated back to Indonesia.
Karsih, he said, was arrested for allegedly poisoning to death her employer’s child. “But the charges against Karsih was not proved … the case was resolved and she was finally released and sent back,” said Fathurrahman. He pointed out Karsih received all of her rights, including her salary for eight years from the employer.
The spokesman said that Salma, the maid who was jailed for stealing money from her employer, has also been released following a pardon by her employer.
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