Kateryna Vakarova is a 21-year-old Ukrainian woman currently facing the death penalty by firing squad in Bali, Indonesia. She was arrested after being accused of carrying drugs into the country — but there is strong evidence to suggest she was exploited as a victim of human trafficking.

At just 21, Kateryna is barely into adulthood. Like thousands of vulnerable young people worldwide, she may have been manipulated and coerced into becoming a drug mule by organized traffickers who prey on women from difficult circumstances. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, nearly one third of identified trafficking victims globally are under 25 years old. These victims are often punished harshly while the true masterminds remain free.

If Indonesia executes Kateryna, her life will be cut short before it has truly begun, leaving her family devastated and extinguishing her chance to rebuild her future. Her death would not stop drug trafficking — it would only destroy another vulnerable life.

Indonesia is already rethinking the death penalty. Under the new Indonesian criminal code adopted in 2023, there are alternatives to capital punishment, including long prison sentences. These alternatives recognize that justice should mean accountability and rehabilitation, not irreversible execution.

Kateryna’s case is at a critical stage. Once the death penalty is carried out, there is no turning back. With enough international pressure, compassion, and solidarity, her sentence can be commuted to a prison term that still holds her accountable but preserves her life.

We call on President Joko Widodo, the Indonesian Ministry of Law and Human Rights, and the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to intervene. Kateryna deserves a chance at justice, not a death sentence.

👉 Please sign and share this petition to help save Kateryna’s life. Together, we can show the Indonesian authorities and the international community that the world is watching and that young women exploited by traffickers must be protected — not executed.