UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has expressed deep regret over the executions of seven foreigners in Indonesia, saying the death penalty has no place in the 21st century. Ban had on Sunday called on President Joko Widodo to declare a moratorium on capital punishment and spare the lives of the drug convicts.

A statement from Mr Ban’s spokesman yesterday said that the UN Secretary General has again urged the government to exercise its authority and commute all death sentences. Recalling that a record 177 countries at the United Nations had voted in favor of a moratorium on capital punishment. He appealed to all countries that still resort to the death penalty to join in the movement toward abolition.