Brazil, Netherlands recall ambassadors from Indonesia

Brazil and the Netherlands have recalled their ambassadors in Indonesia after the Southeast Asian country brushed aside their last-minute appeals for clemency and executed their citizens for drugs offenses.

Five foreign nationals and one Indonesian, who were convicted of drugs offences, were executed by firing squad on Sunday.

The foreigners were from the Netherlands, Brazil, Nigeria, Malawi, and Vietnam.

The Netherlands has condemned the move as a cruel and inhuman punishment that denies human dignity and integrity.

Brazil has also warned that the executions will affect bilateral relations.

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff had requested clemency for the Brazilian citizen in a phone conversation with Indonesian President Joko Widodo.

A spokesman for Roussef said she was “distressed and outraged” over the executions.

“Using the death penalty, which is increasingly rejected by the international community, seriously affects relations between our countries,” said the spokesman on the condition of anonymity.

More than 138 people are on death row in Indonesia mostly for drug crimes.

Drug offenders face harsh punishments including death penalty in the country. About a third of the convicted people are foreigners.