UPDATE 3 - Indonesia executes 4 of 14 drug convicts on death row

By Ainur Rohmah

TUBAN, Indonesia (AA) – Indonesia carried out its latest execution of drug smugglers early Friday morning, but of the 14 people expected to be executed just four were reported shot by firing squad.

Local media reported that Freddy Budiman -- an Indonesian who authorities have accused of coordinating drug trafficking operations from behind bars -- was among them.

On Thursday, his lawyer had told Anadolu Agency that Budiman had prepared to face the firing squad, but as his legal advisor he had persuaded him to ask for late clemency from President Joko Widodo.

"It is already too late to seek a pardon, but we still try. Freddy is resigned to whatever the outcome," Untung Sunaryo said, adding that Budiman had expressed regret for his illegal actions.

Among those expected to be executed were nationals of Indonesia, India, Pakistan, Nigeria, Zimbabwe and Sierre Leone, but outside of Budiman there was no indication who else had been killed.

Earlier Thursday, 14 coffins were seen being transported to the site of the executions -- notorious island prison Nusakambangan.

Amnesty International asked that the executions should not go ahead, saying the families were only informed of the decision Thursday morning morning -- contrary to Indonesian law and international standards.

Indonesian law requires that relatives be informed at least 72 hours in advance.

“President Jokowi should not become the most prolific executioner in recent Indonesian history,” said Rafendi Djamin, Amnesty International’s Director for Southeast Asia and the Pacific.

“He still has time to pull back from these unlawful executions, before inviting global notoriety.”

Indonesia has some of the harshest anti-narcotic laws in the world. Widodo declared a "drug emergency" last year, on the grounds that such use reportedly kills around 40-50 people in the country daily.

Last year’s executions were heavily criticized by the international community, with some countries -- whose nationals had been put to death -- withdrawing ambassadors from Jakarta.