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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.

Saudi Arabia | Pakistani Citizen Beheaded for Smuggling Drugs

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A Pakistani citizen has been executed in Saudi Arabia for smuggling heroin. 

The Saudi Ministry of Interior confirmed that Zubair Khan Hazrat Jamal was executed in Mecca after being convicted of attempting to smuggle heroin into the kingdom.

According to the Saudi Ministry of Interior, Zubair Khan Hazrat Jamal was apprehended by law enforcement officers who found heroin in his possession. 

The Pakistani citizen was charged with attempting to smuggle heroin into Saudi Arabia.

During his trial, he reportedly confessed to the crime. The initial verdict was subsequently upheld by both the Appeals Court and the Supreme Court. 

The execution took place on July 29 in the Mecca region.

This case is not isolated. On July 16, another Pakistani national, Kitab Gul, faced a similar fate. 

Kitab Gul was arrested and found guilty of attempting to smuggle heroin into the kingdom. His death sentence, like Zubair Khan’s, was confirmed and executed after going through the full appeals process.

Saudi Arabia’s anti-drug laws are among the strictest in the world and the kingdom has a zero-tolerance policy for drug trafficking. 

The country’s use of the death penalty has drawn international scrutiny and criticism from human rights organizations.

Critics argue that the death penalty is a disproportionate response to non-violent drug offenses and calls for reforms in the kingdom’s legal and penal systems. 

Despite this criticism, the Saudi government maintains that its laws are necessary to deter drug smuggling and protect society.

Source: propakistani.pk, Sher Alam, July 30, 2024

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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: Makkah Saudi Arabia
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