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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: man hanged on drug charges, two executed for murder

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Public hanging in Iran
Iran: Barbaric and medieval punishments
A 36-year-old husband and father of two small children was executed by Iranian authorities on drug related charges.

Iran Human Rights (NOV 30 2016): A prisoner with drug related charges was reportedly hanged in Adelabad, Shiraz's central prison (Fars province, southern Iran), on Tuesday November 22. 

Close sources have identified the prisoner as 36-year-old Mehdi Shamsinejad, a husband and father to two small children.

In 2014, Iranian authorities arrested Mr. Shamsinejad for allegedly trafficking 600 grams of the narcotics crystal meth and crack. 

He was sentenced to death in 2015 by branch 3 of the revolutionary court in Shiraz, presided by Judge Hashemi.

Iranian authorities, including the Judiciary and the media, have been silent about Mr. Shamsinejad's execution.

A prisoner was reportedly hanged in Khomeyn Prison (Markazi province, central Iran) on Wednesday November 23, and another prisoner was reportedly hanged in Lakan, Rasht's central prison (Gilan province, northern Iran) on Saturday November 26. Both of the prisoners were executed on murder charges.

According to close sources, the prisoner in Rasht is Shabaan Ranjbar, who was detained in prison for 20 years before his execution. 

The human rights news agency, HRANA has identified the prisoner in Khomeyn Prison as Gholamhossein Beigi, who was detained in prison for 18 years before his execution.

Iranian official sources, including the media and Judiciary, have been silent about these two executions.

Source: Iran Human Rights, November 29-30, 2016

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