Indonesia’s war on drugs has long been framed as a matter of national survival. With traffickers moving tons of narcotics across maritime borders, the state has consistently defended harsh penalties — including death sentences — as necessary deterrence. Yet the ongoing trial of Fandi Ramadhan, an Indonesian deckhand (ABK) accused of involvement in the smuggling of nearly two tons of methamphetamine aboard the Sea Dragon vessel, raises a more uncomfortable question: Can Indonesia defend the death penalty if due process itself is under scrutiny? To subscribe please click here
