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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.

Italian MPs meet in India with marines possibly facing death

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A delegation of Italian MPs met in New Delhi Monday with Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone, Italian marines who may face the death penalty in India for allegedly killing two Indian fishermen. 

"We are soldiers, Italian soldiers. We must suffer with dignity," said Latorre, who met the delegates at the Italian embassy. "We hope to come back with honor". 

The pair are accused of killing fishermen Valentine (aka Gelastine) and Ajesh Binki after allegedly mistaking them for pirates and opening fire on their fishing trawler while guarding the privately owned Italian-flagged oil-tanker MT Enrica Lexie off the coast of Kerala on February 15, 2012. 

Italy has appealed to the Indian Supreme Court amid fears that India's National Investigation Agency (NIA) intends to prosecute the pair under a harsh anti-terrorism law that bears the death penalty, despite previous reassurances from the Indian foreign ministry that the marines would not face capital punishment. 

At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Friday, Indian ministers assured Italy they would press their government for a decision on the law by February 3. 

Meanwhile the European Union has threatened India with economic consequences if the death penalty is not taken off the table.

Source: Gazzette del Sud, January 27, 2014
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