Indonesia has begun negotiations with British authorities to repatriate the most brutal rapist in the history of the United Kingdom, Reuters reported, quoted by BTA.
In 2020, a court in Manchester found 41-year-old Reinhard Sinaga guilty of committing 48 assaults on men.
The Indonesian citizen met his victims in bars and nightclubs, then took them to his Manchester apartment and drugged them.
Sinaga was sentenced to at least 30 years. prison for a total of 159 crimes committed between January 2015 and May 2017.
Yusril Ihza Mahendra, the Coordinating Minister for Justice and Human Rights, told reporters that negotiations with British authorities were still in the early stages and that possible mechanisms for the repatriation of the Indonesian citizen were yet to be clarified. "It doesn't matter how much a citizen has done wrong. The state has a duty to protect its citizen," Yusril said. "It's not an easy job for us," he added.
The UK and Indonesia do not have a bilateral prisoner transfer agreement.
Indonesia is also looking at ways to repatriate Ridwan Isamudin, better known as Hambali, who is accused of involvement in several deadly attacks, including the 2002 Bali bombings.
Under British law, Sinaga can only apply for release after serving 30 years of his sentence.
If the British government agrees to repatriate the Indonesian national, he will continue to serve his sentence in a maximum security prison because "otherwise he will create new problems," Yusril said.