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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.

LIBYA. TWO GHANAIANS EXECUTED FOR MURDER

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January 28, 2008: Two Ghanaians have been executed in Libya for allegedly killing a citizen of that country.

The Ghanaians, together with another compatriot and a Nigerian have been on death row since 2002 after being convicted of murder under Libyan Sharia law.

Attempts to secure their release through the intervention of President John Agyekum Kufuor were not successful, as the Libyan authorities stuck to their guns that the convicts must face capital punishment.

The Libyans indicated that under Sharia law, it is only the relatives of the dead who can pardon the killers and therefore the President’s request could not be granted.

Daily Guide has learnt that the two Ghanaians, the Nigerian and another Ghanaian called Blankson were sentenced to death in 1998 for killing a Libyan, and were expected to be executed in 2002.

Daily Guide has also learnt that relatives of the executed Ghanaians are demanding their bodies for proper burial.

Sources: Daily Guide, 28/01/2008
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