The Jakarta Post, Cilacap, Central Java, Monday March 02 2015
Nusakambangan prison island in Cilacap regency, Central Java, is ready to accommodate the next batch of death-row inmates set to be executed, as 10 isolation cells have been refurbished.
Speaking to the press in Cilacap on Saturday, head of the Law and Human Rights Ministry’s Central Java office, Mirza Zulkarnain, said the isolation cells were completed four days ago.
“All the isolation cells are ready. They [the death-row inmates] will be kept in separate cells,” said Mirza.
He said that isolating the convicts was necessary to help them focus on themselves in the days ahead of their executions.
The executions were previously delayed due to a lack of isolation cells.
Mirza also said that the isolation cells were located at LP Besi prison, not at LP Batu prison as initially planned, as the former was closer to the execution field.
There are seven prisons on Nusakambangan, an island located off Teluk Penyu Beach.
The prison island currently houses 1,500 inmates, all of whom are serving over five years’ imprisonment Of them, 50 are on death row.
The seven prisons are LP Terbuka, LP Batu, LP Kembang Kuning, LP Besi, LP Narkotik, LP Pasir Putih and LP Permisan.
LP Pasir Putih a maximum-security prison as it accommodates terrorist convicts, including Abu Bakar Ba’asyir.
Ba’asyir, the leader of regional terrorist network Jamaah Islamiah, is serving 15 years in the prison.
Security has been tightened on Nusakambangan as well as in a number of areas around the island ahead of the second batch of executions.
The upcoming executions have attracted crowds of tourists as well as journalists to Wijaya Pura Dock over the last week.
“News on the upcoming executions has been on TV every day so I wanted to come to the dock and do a little sightseeing while I’m here,” Sri Ningsih of Banyumas regency said.
She, along with family members, had expected to be allowed to enter the prison island
“It’s alright. [Watching] from in front of Wijaya Pura is enough for me,” Sri Ningsih said.
Nusakambangan is usually open to tourists wanting to visit Permisan Beach, which is located on the westernmost point of the island. Ahead of the executions, however, tourists have been banned.
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ma 2 maa 2015 - 5:04