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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.

Some 168 Indonesians face death penalties overseas

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Jakarta (ANTARA) - As many as 168 Indonesian citizens are facing death penalty overseas for various crimes, according to data from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as of August 2023.

Of the total cases, 157 were recorded in Malaysia, four cases in the United Arab Emirates, three cases in Saudi Arabia and Laos respectively, and one case in Vietnam, the ministry's Director of Protection for Indonesian Citizens and Indonesian Legal Entities Judha Nugraha noted.

Nugraha remarked in a press briefing here on Friday that 110 of them were involved in drug-related crimes and 58 others were convicted in murder cases.

During the 2011-2022 period, the ministry had recorded that 519 Indonesians overseas were prevented from executions.

However, the number of Indonesians that received commutation of death penalties is still lower than the new cases emerged.

In 2022, the ministry noted that 22 Indonesians were released from executions, but the addition of new cases with Indonesian citizens facing death sentences has reached 25.

"This is a reminder for all of us that the handling of these cases should take into account the preventive measures. Hence, preventive measures must also be strengthened," Nugraha remarked.

In order to help Indonesian citizens facing death penalty, the government provides consular access, lawyers and translators, as well as other legal remedies in accordance with the law in force in the respective country.

"However, it is important to remember that the state's duty is not to release (the convicts). 

The state's duty is to provide legal assistance to ensure that every Indonesian citizen gets their legal rights fairly in local courts," he noted. 

Source: Antara, Staff, September 29, 2023


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"One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed,
but by the punishments that the good have inflicted."

— Oscar Wilde
Location: Indonesia
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