2 migrant workers spared death penalty

JAKARTA, Jan. 19 (UPI) -- Two Indonesian migrant workers spared the death penalty in Saudi Arabia after being pardoned by the country's king arrived in Jakarta Thursday, officials said.

The two women arrived Thursday at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport after receiving the pardon from King Abdullah, the Ankara news agency reported.

Neneng Sunengsih binti Mamih Ujan, a native of Sukabumi, West Java, was arrested by Al Jouf Police in May 2011 for allegedly killing the baby daughter of her employer.

Naseer Al Dandani, a Saudi lawyer appointed by the Indonesian embassy in Riyadh, helped free Neneng by convincing judges she shouldn't be blamed for the death because she was not competent to take care of the seriously ill baby. Ankara said no strong evidence proved Neneng killed the baby, whose family did not allow an autopsy.

The other migrant worker, Mesi binti Dama Idon, was sentenced to death by the Saqra Public Court in March after confessing she had used witchcraft against her employers. She retracted the confession later and said she had been pressured during a police interrogation.

After she appealed, with help from the Indonesian embassy in Riyadh, her sentence was reduced to 10 years in prison and 500 lashes. Mesi was released this month by an order from the king.