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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 | Executions in Yazd, Bandarabbas, Gorgan, Shiraz

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Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); September 19, 2024: Morteza Shah Esmaili and Nasim Narouyi (photo), two men on death row for drug-related charges, were executed in Yazd Central Prison.

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, two men including a Baluch minority were executed in Yazd Central Prison on 19 September. Their identities have been established as 35-year-old Morteza Shah Esmaili and 50-year-old Nasim Narouyi (Menan Barahouyi), a Baluch man from Zabol. Both men were sentenced to death for drug-related charges by the Revolutionary Court.

An informed source told IHRNGO: “Nasim Narouyi was arrested five years ago and Morteza Shah Esmaili two years ago. Morteza was transferred from Ardakan prison to Yazd Central Prison ten days prior to execution.”

At the time of writing, their executions have not been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.

Drug-related executions have continuously risen every year since 2021. According to IHRNGO’s 2023 Annual Report on the Death Penalty, at least 471 people were executed for drug-related charges, an 84% increase compared to 2022 (256) and about 18 times the average of drug-related executions in 2018-2020. In the first six months of 2024, at least 147 people were executed for the charges.

On 10 April 2024, 80+ Iranian and international organisations and groups called for joint action to stop drug-related executions, urging UNODC to make “any cooperation with the Islamic Republic contingent on a complete halt on drug-related executions.”

Execution in Bandarabbas


Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); September 18, 2024: Hamidreza Hassanzehi Sani, a Baluch man on death row for drug-related charges, was executed in Bandarabbas Central Prison.

According to Haal Vsh, a Baluch man was executed in Bandarabbas Central Prison on 17 September. His identity has been reported as 60-year-old Hamidreza Hassanzehi Sani from Zahedan.

Hamidreza was arrested for drug-related offences in Roudan in Hormozgan province in 2021 and sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court. He was transferred to Bandarabbas Central Prison a week prior to his executions.

At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.

Execution in Gorgan


Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); September 17, 2024: Alimorad Hassanzadeh, a man on death row for drug-related charges, was executed in Gorgan Central Prison.

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was executed in Gorgan Central Prison on 16 September. His identity has been established as 33-year-old Alimorad Hassanzadeh.

Alimorad was arrested for drug-related offences two years ago and sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court.

At the time of writing, his execution has not been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.

Five executed in Shiraz


Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); September 17, 2024: Mehdi Jahanpour and four Baluch men named Sasan Ben, Saeed Khajeh Heidari, Abdoljalil Ehsani and Yahya Zargari were executed for drug-related and murder charges in Shiraz Central Prison.

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, two Baluch men were executed in Shiraz (Adel Abad) Central Prison on 15 September. Their identities have been established as 33-year-old Sasan Ben (Bozorgzadeh) and 30-year-old Saeed Khajeh Heidari who were sentenced to death for drug-related charges by the Revolutionary Court.

Furthermore, three other men including two Baluch minorities were executed at the prison the next day, 16 September 2024. The identities of the two Baluch men who were also sentenced to death for drug-related charges have been established as 33-year-old Abdoljalil Ehsani and 32-year-old Yahya Zargari from Iranshahr.

The third man who was sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder, has been identified as 21-year-old Mehdi Jahanpour. He was executed secretly, without his family being notified and the chance to say goodbye.

An informed source told IHRNGO: “Mehdi Jahanpour was accused of killing someone with a knife in Firouz Abad. Mehdi was in love with a girl who had another man pursuing her. He stopped Mehdi in the street and a fight broke out which ended with the other man being killed.”

At the time of writing, their executions have not been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran.

Source: Iran Human Rights, Staff, September 17-19, 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: Iran
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