Indonesia Executes Three Nigerians By Firing Squad

Indonesia has executed the first four of 14 drug convicts on death row.

One Indonesian and three Nigerians were killed by firing squad shortly after midnight local time (17:00 GMT), reports say. There has been no confirmation yet from the government.

READ: Indonesia Rejects International Pleas To Halt Executions Of Nigerian

It is not clear if the remaining 10 have been spared or face being put to death in the coming days.

Amnesty International condemned the executions as a "deplorable act" that violated local and international law.

Indonesia has some of the world's toughest drug laws, and has faced intense criticism internationally for resuming executions.

Fourteen, mostly foreign, drug convicts were executed last year to widespread condemnation.

Cases of concern

This, the third round of executions under President Joko Widodo, took place at Nusakambangan prison island.

Relatives had gathered there earlier in the day to say goodbye to loved ones, according to the Jakarta Post. It also said 17 ambulances were sent to the island - 14 of them carrying coffins.

One source told local media the execution took place at 00:45 Friday, having been postponed because of heavy rain and strong winds.

Those who were executed have been named as Indonesian Freddy Budiman, and three Nigerians - Seck Osmane, Humphrey Jefferson Ejike and Michael Titus Igweh.

Those who remain on death row include three other Indonesians, a Pakistani, an Indian, two other Nigerians and two Zimbabweans.

Activists have been particularly concerned by the cases of the Pakistani man, Zulfiqar Ali - who they say was beaten into confessing to heroin possession - and an Indonesian woman, Merri Utami - who says she was duped into becoming a drug mule.

President Widodo vowed to take a hard line against drug trafficking when he was elected in 2014, saying he would not compromise over death sentences to convicted drug dealers.

Australia withdrew its ambassador from Indonesia for five weeks in protest at the execution of two Australians Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran in April 2015.

www.bbc.co.uk