Indonesia will carry out its latest execution of drug smugglers late Thursday evening, according to a relative of a death row inmate.

Among the 14 to be shot by firing squad are six Nigerians.

Earlier Thursday, 14 coffins were seen being transported to a notorious island prison, Nusakambangan, where the executions are to take place.

According to a document seen by an Anadolu Agency reporter that appeared to be official, the death row inmates include: Obinna Nwajagu (Nigeria), Ozias Sibanda (Nigeria), Michael Titus Igweh (Nigeria), Humphrey Ejike (Nigeria), Eugene Ape (Nigeria), Zulfiqar Ali (Pakistan), Merry Utami (Indonesia), Freddy Budiman (Indonesia), Pujo Lestari (Indonesia), Agus Hadi (Indonesia), Gudrip Singh (India), Frederik Luttar (Zimbabwe), Seck Osmane (Senegal) and Okonkwo Nonso Kingsley (Sierra Leone).

An Indonesian source was quoted by kompas.com as saying, “yes. It is final, executions will be carried out tonight.”

Family members and lawyers of those set to be executed gathered at the prosecutor's office in Cilacap, the port town on Java island nearest Nusakambangan.

On Wednesday, Attorney General Muhammad Prasetyo refused to reveal the date when 14 convicted drug smugglers would be executed, but did not deny the possibility it could be carried out by the end of this week.

He declined to reveal the names and nationalities of the inmates, but said all were being held in isolation cells in Nusakambangan.

Earlier this week, Indonesia tightened security around Nusakambangan, closing Wijaya Pura dock in Cilacap while authorities prohibited people visiting incarcerated family members.

On the two occasions in 2015 that Indonesia executed death row inmates on the island similar suspensions occurred.

The European Union called on Indonesia not to proceed with the execution in a statement, saying it “opposes the death penalty for all kinds of cases and without exception, and has consistently called for the universal abolition of the death penalty.”

Jakarta-based human rights organisation Impartial also criticised the plans, saying they showed lack of commitment to upholding human rights.

The Indonesian Foreign Ministry, however, insisted Thursday that executions of drug smugglers would continue and asked that other countries respect its law.

“The death penalty is carried out by law enforcement and we reiterate that the death penalty is not contrary to international law,” spokesman Arrmanatha Nasir told Anadolu Agency.

“Just like Indonesia which always respects the laws of other countries, we hope other countries also respect our law.”

He said that the death penalty has nothing to do with bilateral relations with the convicts’ countries of origin “as a citizen of Pakistan, Zimbabwe, Nigeria and India”.

“I emphasise that all the legal rights and the legal processes have been granted and settled by the state,” Nasir underlined.

Indonesia has some of the harshest anti-narcotic laws in the world. Widodo declared a “drug emergency” last year, on the grounds that use reportedly kills around 40-50 people in the country daily.

Last year’s executions were heavily criticised by the international community, with some countries – whose nationals had been put to death – withdrawing ambassadors from Jakarta.

•Adapted from an Anadolu Agency report. Photo shows some of the Nigerians executed last year by Indonesia for alleged drug peddling.

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