In December 2011, UAF received a request from CIMW for a campaign to take a case of an Indonesian migrant worker sentenced to the death penalty in Saudi Arabia to the International Criminal Court (ICC). The worker, Siti Zaenab has been imprisoned in Saudi Arabia since 2000, when she was charged with killing her employer. The sentence has been postponed until 2013 when the son of the former employer turns 15 at which point he can decide whether or not to pardon Siti Zaenab. CIMW is an organization based on the island of Jakarta, Indonesia which aims to empower migrant workers, returned workers, and their families by fostering an awareness of their rights. According to an UAF advisor, the organization is known “for active defense of migrants’ rights and individual cases of abuse.” Specifically CIMW would use requested funds for travel and lodging for a delegation to Saudi Arabia to meet with Siti and other stakeholders.
CIMW consulted with Lawyers Beyond Borders at a meeting in Bangkok in November 2011 and strategized about sending the case to the ICC and using it to do advocacy around death penalty cases of women in the Middle East who are innocent or committed a crime in self-defense. CIMW has secured other funding to support the rest of the campaign, which is to include a public seminar on the issue in Indonesia, as well as materials it will distribute to the public calling for a fair trial and for the government of Indonesia to take responsibility for protecting migrant workers mistreated in foreign countries.
