SEMARANG, Indonesia – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said Sunday (March 30th) the government has helped secure the release of 176 Indonesians who were on death row overseas, local media reported.

Yudhoyono, meeting with eight relatives of four migrant workers facing Saudi Arabia's death penalty, said Jakarta is working to free another 246.

"Over the years, we have successfully freed 176 people from death row. This is not a small figure. Getting pardon for only one person is not easy," he said, according to Antara.

He said he asked Saudi senior officials to commute several death sentences, The Jakarta Post reported. The government was able to delay the planned execution of Satinah, a migrant worker on death row for three years, whose relatives were among those who met with the president.