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Indonesia | 14 years on death row: Timeline of Mary Jane Veloso’s ordeal and fight for justice

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MANILA, Philippines — The case of Mary Jane Veloso, a Filipina on death row in Indonesia for drug trafficking, has spanned over a decade and remains one of the most high-profile legal battles involving an overseas Filipino worker. Veloso was arrested on April 25, 2010, at Adisucipto International Airport in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, after she was found in possession of more than 2.6 kilograms of heroin. She was sentenced to death in October – just six months after her arrest. Indonesia’s Supreme Court upheld the penalty in May 2011.

Death Penalty Abolition Impact

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Any time an execution is suspended or commuted or the death penalty is abolished somewhere in the world, Rome illuminates the Colosseum for two days in gold light.

While some Democrats and most Republicans in our legislature voted to remain in the "axis of evil" club of nations that murder their own citizens (North Korea, Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia, etc), the majority voted to show the world (in the words of Sister Helen Prejean) that "life is stronger than death, that love is greater than hatred, and compassion and standing for the dignity of the human person is stronger than the need for revenge."

Tonight the venue that was once the site of mass torture and executions will shine in recognition of New Jersey's move towards a less barbaric world.

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Source: Blue Jersey
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