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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.

Nigeria: Amnesty International Seeks Reprieve for Edo Death Row Inmates

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Amnesty International has appealed to the Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, to rescind its decision to carry out the death sentence passed on two inmates at the state prison.

The African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights (ACHPR) has also written to President Goodluck Jonathan, asking him to prevail on the governor to stop the execution.

Amnesty International noted that it was difficult for many accused persons to get justice in Nigeria's justice system, adding that it would not be fair to execute those who might not have received fair trials and who had been on death row for many years.

Director General of Amnesty International, Mr. Salil Shetty, who stated this Monday when he visited the offices of the Human Rights Social Development and Environment Foundation (HURSDEF) in Port Harcourt, said the body was concerned that Oshiomhole had expressed his readiness to go ahead with the execution of the two death row inmates.

Shetty said the excuse given by Oshiomhole that he would go ahead with the executions to tackle the challenge of prison congestion was not the best way of addressing the problem.


Source: AllAfrica, October 30, 2012
Location: Nigeria
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