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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.

IRAN SAYS NUMBER OF EXECUTIONS IS 'NOT HIGH'

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April 15, 2008: the number of executions in Iran is "not high", the judiciary said in response to an Amnesty International report that listed Iran as the world's second most prolific executioner in 2007.

European governments and Western rights groups have criticised Iran for an increasing number of hangings since authorities launched a clampdown on "immoral behaviour" in July. Asked to comment, judiciary spokesman Alireza Jamshidi said: "Whether Iran has had that number of executions I don't know, but the number is not high. The bulk of executions in Iran have to do with retribution ... and they can be retracted with the consent of the next of kin."

Amnesty International said in its annual report that the Iranian regime had executed at least 317 people during the year 2007.

According to Hands Off Cain, at least 355 people were executed in 2007.

Sources: Reuters, 15/04/2008
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