“Shocking Twist: Woman on Death Row Returns Home After 14 Years—Her Redemption Story Will Leave You Speechless!”
Indonesian Law and Human Rights Minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra reportedly announced on November 11 that the government was developing a new policy for the repatriation of foreign prisoners, including Veloso, responding to requests from their home countries.
Mary Jane Veloso, a worker seeking better opportunities abroad, faced shattered dreams after she was sentenced to death in Indonesia for drug trafficking.
After over a decade of legal battles and back-and-forth diplomacy, a glimmer of hope for Veloso to come back to the… pic.twitter.com/Milm1HVEjn
— NewsWatch Plus PH (@newswatchplusph) November 20, 2024
Mahendra said: “We are formulating a policy to resolve the issue of foreign prisoners,” suggesting a willingness to engage in bilateral negotiations or prisoner transfers.
He continued: “We managed to delay her execution long enough to reach an agreement to finally bring her back.
“While she was held accountable under Indonesian law, she remains a victim of her circumstances.”
Veloso’s execution was postponed in 2015. Advocates and the Philippines government argued she was a victim of human trafficking
Image credits: Ulet Ifansasti/Getty Images
Earlier this year, Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo reiterated the Philippines’ appeal for clemency for Veloso, News Watch + Philippines reported on Tuesday.
Advocates have reportedly argued that her status as a trafficking victim, combined with her prolonged detention, justified clemency or sentence reduction.
Veloso was reportedly arrested in 2010 at Yogyakarta Airport in Indonesia with 2.6 kilograms of heroin in her luggage.
