Mahendra said the meeting aims to explore cooperation that had not been formally pursued between the two countries.
“We discussed the possibility of drafting an extradition agreement and Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) in Criminal Matters with Portugal. In addition, Ambassador Velozo expressed interest in discussing the transfer of prisoners,” the minister noted.
He then proposed initial technical discussions through Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) to develop the direction and mechanisms for comprehensive legal cooperation.
Mahendra conveyed that the issue of prisoner transfers emerged due to the presence of two Portuguese citizens currently serving sentences in Indonesian prisons.
Although Indonesia does not yet have a specific law regarding prisoner transfers, he stated that the practice has been carried out based on humanitarian considerations and sound relations between countries.
He cited the example of the transfer of death row inmate Serge Atlaoui to France due to his deteriorating health caused by cancer.
“This was done for humanitarian reasons, and the French government demonstrated excellent cooperation,” he remarked.
He stated that the case of two Portuguese citizens convicted in Indonesia is relatively new and does not involve severe penalties, such as the death penalty or 20-year imprisonment.
Besides legal cooperation, the meeting touched on cultural topics where they exchanged views on the importance of preserving Portugal’s historical heritage in Indonesia, from Aceh to Maluku.
Although this legacy dates back to the dark colonial era, all parties share responsibility for preserving it as part of the shared history for building the future, Mahendra emphasized.
The minister said the meeting reflected Indonesia’s openness to expanding international cooperation networks based on the principles of mutual respect and shared interests in both legal and cultural fields.
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Translator: Agatha Olivia, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Primayanti
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