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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.

Pakistan: Two executions for murder; two hangings postponed

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March 30, 2016: Two murder convicts were hanged in Pakistan in the last two days. 

On March 29, a double murder convict was sent on the gallows in District Jail Sargodha in the wee hours. 

According to the jail authorities, Ghazanfer Ali had murdered his sister and her husband in the name of honour at Riazul Khateeb Colony of Shahpur on October7, 1999. 

Both the high court and supreme courts upheld the trial court’s verdict. His clemency appeal was also turned down by the President of Pakistan. The District and Sessions Court issued his death warrants. 

Later, his dead body was handed over to the heirs for burial. 

A death row prisoner was hanged on March 30 in the District Jail Sialkot early the morning while the execution of two other convicts was postponed after the rival parties reached agreement.

According to details, death row prisoner Ghulam Abbas was hanged for killing a man during a robbery attempt in 1997. His body was handed over to his heirs after the execution.

Meanwhile, the execution of two more convicts, Nasir Mahmood and Tahir Iqbal, was postponed after the rival parties reached agreement. 

Sources: Dunya News, March 30, 2016; The Nation, March 30, 2016

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Location: Pakistan
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