March 2
SAUDI ARABIA:
Saudi blogger Raif Badawi could be retried and beheaded, say his family ----
Judge who cleared Badawi of the capital crime of renouncing Islam has referred
his case back to court, say his family, who call for a royal pardon
Raif Badawi, the Saudi blogger who was sentenced to a decade in prison and
1,000 lashes for insulting Islam, now faces being beheaded for renouncing the
religion, his family have said.
They claimed to have learned of attempts within the Saudi judicial system to
have Raif Badawi retried for the crime, which carries a death sentence. Amnesty
International said it was looking into the claims, which could not be verified
on Sunday evening.
"Raif and his family must be thinking 'what new hell is this?'," said an
Amnesty spokesman.
We call on the world citizens and governments not to leave Raif dragged by such
bigots to death
"The torment of facing each week the possibility of another brutal public
flogging is an unimaginable torture. These latest rumours that the death
penalty is a possibility again add to the nightmare.
"Over a million people have called for Raif's freedom. That should be the only
development we're hearing about."
In a statement, Badawi's family said that the Saudi supreme court has referred
his case to the same judge who passed the sentence he is currently serving,
whom they accused of being biased against him.
He was previously cleared of apostasy - renouncing his religion - in 2013. In
January this year, his case was referred to the supreme court by the former
king in a move that his supporters hoped would eventually lead to his release.
But his family, who cited "information from reliable sources" they did not
name, now believe that the case has been referred on again to the country's
Penal court under regulations introduced last autumn.
"We have reasons to believe without any doubts that the same judge has again
asked the head of the court of appeal to charge Raif with apostasy," they said
in a statement.
"It should be mentioned that this judge stated in his written verdict against
Raif, that he has proof and is confident that Raif is an apostate.
"We call on the world citizens and governments not to leave Raif dragged by
such bigots to death. And we renew our calls to His Majesty King Salman to
pardon Raif Badawi and allow him to leave for Canada to be united with his
family there."
Badawi received the first 50 lashes outside al-Jafali mosque in the port city
of Jeddah in January. He was due to be subjected to 50 more each week but it
was postponed after doctors said that his wounds had not healed and that he was
unfit to have the sentence carried out.
(source: The Guardian)
ALGERIA:
Death Penalty for the kidnapping and murder of Mebrek
The 2 killers of young itinerant merchant, Amirouche Mebrek in January 2014,
were sentenced to death. The verdict was pronounced late in the evening of
Sunday, March 1.
The 2 accused, Amroun Youcef and Oultaf Madjid have denied the facts and Amroun
Youcef had tried to attribute the murder to terrorists but was caught by
scientific evidence presented by the prosecutor, according to sources close to
the file.
The representative of the prosecution estimated, during his closing argument,
that the Amirouche Mebrek case was as serious as that of the French tourist
Herve Gourdel, who had been beheaded by terrorists in September. Hence the need
of a sentence at the height of the shock suffered by the population and the
torment lived by the family of the victim, the source added.
(source: Ennahar Online)
INDIA:
Delhi bus rapist: Women should allow men to rape them if they want to live
One of the men who brutally assaulted and raped a 23-year-old woman on a moving
bus in New Delhi on Dec. 16, 2012 blames the victim for the savagery that he -
and 5 other men - inflicted on her.
Had she simply been "silent" and allowed the rape, "then they would have
dropped her off after doing her," Mukesh Singh, one of the convicted in the
horrific case, said in an interview from Delhi's Tihar Jail.
It's been more than 2 years since a physiotherapy student, Jyoti Singh, was
raped by 6 men. Later, she was left to die on the city's streets, as her male
companion, who was also severely beaten up, sought help from passersby.
The incident triggered nationwide protests and a demand for a lasting, sweeping
change in rape laws. The judge who handled the case said that the rape had
"shocked the collective conscience" of India. The assailants are now facing
death penalty - but one of them, at least, feels absolutely no remorse.
In an interview for a documentary called India's Daughter, Mukesh - who was
also the driver of the bus in which the incident occurred - said that girls are
to be blamed for most of the rapes that occur in India.
"You can't clap with 1 hand - it takes 2 hands. A decent girl won't roam around
at 9 o'clock at night. A girl is far more responsible for rape than a boy. Boy
and girl are not equal. Housework and housekeeping is for girls, not roaming in
discos and bars at night doing wrong things, wearing wrong clothes. About 20 %
of girls are good."
He went on to blame Jyoti for resisting rape.
"She should just be silent and allow the rape. Then they would have dropped her
off after 'doing her' and only hit the boy. The 15 or 20 minutes of the
incident, I was driving the bus. The girl was screaming, 'Help me, help me.'
The juvenile put his hand in her and pulled out something. It was her
intestines ... We dragged her to the front of the bus and threw her out."
Death penalty, in his opinion, will only make matters worse for future rape
victims.
"The death penalty will make things even more dangerous for girls."
"Before, they would rape and say, 'Leave her, she won't tell anyone.' Now when
they rape, especially the criminal types, they will just kill the girl. Death."
The juvenile who Mukesh mentioned in his interview was 6 months shy of 18 at
the time of the rape, and was tried separately from the other five men in a
juvenile justice court. In August 2013, he was sent to a correctional facility
for a maximum term of 3 years. At the reform home in Sept. 2014, he was found
to be cooking, sewing, painting, playing volleyball, watching television or
pigeons.
Mukesh, who was 26 at the time of the incident, and 4 other adult perpetrators
were given the death penalty by a fast-track court. Though the Delhi high court
upheld the penalty in Mar. 2014, the perpetrators are waiting for Supreme
Court's hearing on their appeal.
The documentary will be broadcast in India and 7 other countries on BBC4 on
March 08, International Women's Day.
(source: qz.com)
**********************
HC stays death sentence of man who killed five persons in 2004
The Delhi High Court today stayed the execution of a man convicted for the
murder of 5 persons, including 2 children, in Chhattisgarh in 2004 and whose
review plea had been rejected by the apex court.
A bench of justices Sanjiv Khanna and Ashutosh Kumar restrained the prison
authorities from carrying out the execution till April 7.
The convict's "black warrant" (death warrant) was scheduled to be signed on
March 4.
The bench issued notice to the Centre and Chhattisgarh government seeking their
reply on the plea of convict Sonu Sardar who has sought quashing of the
President's rejection of his mercy plea.
Senior advocate Indira Jaising and advocate Rishab Sancheti appeared for Sardar
and contended there was delay of 2 years and 2 months by the President in
deciding his mercy plea.
Advocate Atul Jha, appearing for the Chhattisgarh government, opposed the plea,
saying the Delhi High Court did not have the jurisdiction to entertain the
petition.
Sonu Sardar, along with his brother and accomplices, had killed 5 persons of a
family, including a woman and 2 children, during a dacoity bid in
Chhattisgarh's Cher village in November 2004.
The trial court had slapped death penalty on him and the Chhattisgarh High
Court had upheld it.
The Supreme Court in February 2012 had concurred with the findings of 2 courts
below and affirmed the punishment.
Then in February 2015, the apex court also rejected his review plea.
Sardar, in his petition, has also sought commuting of his death sentence to
life imprisonment on account of delay in deciding his mercy plea as well as for
allegedly keeping him in "solitary confinement illegally".
(source: Press Trust of India)
TANZANIA:
Albinos 'Want Their Killers Executed'
A delegation of people with albinism through the Tanzania Albinism Society
(TAS) is expected to meet President Jakaya Kikwete on Thursday, this week, in
which among others, will request the president to put into effect the death
penalty on convicted albino killers.
"There are about seven people who are on death row after they were convicted of
killing people with albinism; we will ask the president to execute the capital
punishment or convert the verdict to life sentence with hard labour," TAS
Chairman Ernest Kimaya told the 'Daily News'.
TAS had on February 19, this year, announced intention to hold peaceful march
today to push the government to intensify the crackdown on criminals who abduct
and kill innocent people whose only 'fault' is being melanin deficient.
Mr Kimaya had indicated that TAS would engage representatives from political
parties, religious leaders as well as civil society organisations in the
peaceful march.
However, Mr Kimaya told the 'Daily News' that President Kikwete had agreed to
meet their delegation this week and thus the planned march had been shelved.
"We had been making arrangements for the peaceful march, but as of yesterday
evening (Saturday) the police were yet to issue us with a permit to conduct the
demonstration.
"On the same day, LAS was also contacted by the State House notifying us that
the president would not be able to meet us on Monday (today) and instead
arranged the meeting for Thursday," Mr Kimaya said through a telephone
interview.
Abduction, hacking and killing of people with albinism has been rampant in some
parts of the country, particularly the Lake Zone, in which some 76 people with
albinism were killed between 2005/2006 and this year.
"During this period, we have seen 76 killed while 34 surviving but had some of
their body parts hacked; there were also 15 graves of people with albinism
which were dug up, ostensibly to cut the parts for the human sacrifices," Mr
Kimaya noted with concerns.
The TAS chair said the association will as well place a request to the Head of
State to have the Judiciary fast-track 34 cases which are currently pending at
the High Court.
"These cases have dragged for a long time now; we think it is high time the
cases are fast-tracked or a special court is formed to try cases related to
albino killings," he stated.
During the past 2 months, the country has witnessed 2 abductions of young
children in the Lake Zone.
They include Yohana Bahati (1) who was kidnapped on February 15 and her body
recovered mutilated on February 17 in Geita Region, as well as Pendo Emmanuel
(4) who was kidnapped in December and is still missing.
(source: All Africa News)
IRAN----executions
4 Prisoners Hanged in Iran
4 prisoners were hanged in 2 different Iranian cities, reported the Iranian
state media.edam-isca
According to the official website of the Iranian Judiciary in Hormozgan
province (Southern Iran) 1 man was hanged in Bandar Abbas Thursday morning 26
February. The prisoner who was identified as "M. K." was convicted of murdering
a man in 2010.
3 other prisoners were hanged in the prison of Rasht (Northern Iran) reported
the Judiciary in Gilan province. 2 of the prisoners identified as "H.M." (40)
and "H.R." (28) were convicted of murder and the 3rd prisoner identified as
"D.F." (35) was convicted of drug trafficking said the report.
(source: Iran Human Rights)
THAILAND:
Capital punishment concerns raised over Thai backpackers' murder case
Human rights activists have expressed alarm after it emerged that British
police might have breached legal guidelines by providing evidence to Thai
authorities which could potentially help them execute suspects accused of
murdering 2 British backpackers.
The investigation into the deaths of Hannah Witheridge and David Miller in
September on the holiday island of Koh Tao has already prompted concern
following claims that the 2 young Burmese migrant workers arrested for the
crime were tortured by Thai police to secure confessions, which they then
retracted.
The suspects, Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo, both 21, face trial in July, and Thai
prosecutors say they will seek the death penalty. Under a British government
protocol, British police and officials should not normally provide evidence
when defendants face capital punishment in a foreign jurisdiction without
getting assurances a death sentence will not be carried out.
However, in an email to the rights group Reprieve, the Foreign Office (FCO)
said it had learned that four English police forces conducted interviews about
the case at the request of their Thai counterparts and passed on the
information. Reprieve says it does not believe assurances over execution were
sought. The FCO declined to comment on this point.
More widely, Reprieve claims British police and officials have been giving
"1-sided assistance" by handing information to Thai authorities but refusing to
share any of it with the defence team.
Witheridge, 23, was raped and beaten to death while Miller, 24, was struck on
the head and left to drown in shallow surf. During a frantic 2-week
investigation, Thailand's military prime minister, General Prayuth Chanocha,
said he believed migrant workers were the culprits. Soon afterwards, 2 young
Burmese men were arrested.
Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo said they were beaten and scalded to get confessions,
while other Burmese nationals on Koh Tao said they were also mistreated by
police. Amnesty International and the British government were among those who
raised concerns about the inquiry.
Late last year, a Metropolitan police team was sent to Thailand to observe the
case and prepare a report. In December, it told Reprieve it would not share the
report with Thai police as it did "not provide information for use in a
criminal process which lacks the necessary assurances about use of the death
penalty".
However, the Met said it could not account for the actions of other police
forces, prompting Reprieve to seek clarification from the FCO.
The FCO response said Hampshire, Essex, Hertfordshire and Jersey police had
been asked by Thai police to interview Britons who were on Koh Tao with
Witheridge and Miller. It added: "We now understand that UK law enforcement
colleagues shared the contents of these statements informally with Thai police
after they had taken human rights considerations into account."
Asked by the Guardian whether Britain had first sought assurances that Zaw Lin
and Wai Phyo would not be executed, the FCO declined to comment on the specific
point. A spokeswoman said: "We have called for the investigation to be
conducted in a fair and transparent way, in line with international standards.
The British government opposes the use of the death penalty and has been clear
on this with the Thai government."
Lawyers acting for Reprieve have written to the government asking what
information was shared with Thai authorities and for any details about human
rights assurances.
Separately, the organisation is challenging the Met's decision to refuse the
Thai defence team access to its report into the case. Lawyers for the suspects
have accused British officials of complicity in denying them a fair trial;
under Thai law the prosecution is not obliged to divulge its evidence in
advance.
They are seeking the report under data protection laws, which the Met has
refused. In a letter to the commissioner, Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, Reprieve's
lawyers challenge this, saying the dual grounds for refusal - that police hold
no personal data on the suspects and that divulging it could prejudice the
trial - were contradictory.
Maya Foa, director of Reprieve's death penalty team, said the organisation
sympathised with the victim's families, who have expressed confidence in the
Thai investigation, and understood their desire to see those responsible held
to account. She said: "It is therefore essential to make sure that we see a
fair trial. But this can only happen if there is a level playing field.
"That is why the one-sided assistance provided to the Thai prosecutors by the
UK police is so worrying - especially when they are aware that 2 young men
could face the death penalty following torture and a deeply flawed trial."
Hampshire police said it interviewed a witness over the case but that, as far
as it knew, the information had not yet been passed on to Thai police. Jersey,
Essex and Hertfordshire police referred the matter to the Met, who in turn
referred it to the FCO.
The FCO said it could not assist the defence: "The evidence to be presented to
the court was and remains in the possession of the Thai police and prosecutor.
Decisions about what and how this will be presented at any trial are for the
Thai authorities to make.
"The British government cannot interfere in Thailand's judicial proceedings,
just as other governments are unable to interfere in our own judicial
processes.
(source: The Guradian)
INDONESIA:
Indonesia says legal appeals irrelevant as Bali 9 transfer date to be decided
Tuesday
The date of the transfer of Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan will be decided on
Tuesday, Indonesian officials have revealed, as its government maintains there
is no need to wait for legal appeals to be heard before executing the Bali 9
duo.
Bali's chief prosectuor, Momock Bambang Samiarso, revealed the information
after leaving Kerobokan prison late on Monday, where he met with prison
governor Sudjonggo, Australian consul-general Majell Hind and lawyer for the
pair Julian McMahon.
"[The date] will be decided tomorrow at the co-ordination meeting," Mr Momock
said.
The comments come as HM Prasetyo, Indonesia's Attorney-General, said that
numerous legal appeals would not affect the timing of the execution and were
irrelevant.
Chan and Sukumaran's lawyers plan to lodge an appeal in the next week. They are
appealing the refusal of Indonesian President Joko Widodo to grant clemency to
the Australian drug smugglers, saying he did not consider their case properly.
Several others slated to be executed also have legal appeals in the works,
including one case involving a Philippine woman, Mary Jane Fiesta Veloso, which
is due to be heard on Tuesday.
"The [clemency] request was rejected so it is the final decision. Actually,
after clemency there is no more legal avenues left," Mr Prasetyo said.
Counsel for the Australians, Julian McMahon, said Mr Prasetyo's stance would
bring international condemnation upon Indonesia. It was important that his
clients' case was tested on its merits and the rule of law was respected in
Indonesia, he added.
Mr Prasetyo said that preparations were "95 %" complete for the simultaneous
killing by firing squad of the Bali 9 duo and 8 other drug felons. All up, 9 of
those to be killed are foreigners.
"Regarding the transfer [of Chan and Sukumaran from Bali], it will be done as
soon as possible," he added. "It's all related to technical issues. Maybe there
are still some things that need to be prepared.
Earlier, the Bali chief prosecutor Momock Bambang Samiarso said a transfer this
week to the execution island of Nusakambangan was "definite".
Meanwhile, Minister for Justice Yasonna Laoly, whose ministry oversees the
Attorney-General, told the ABC that the executions "should be no later than
mid-March".
A transfer later in the week, or early next week, seems most likely as
officials and others involved in the execution are scheduled to visit Cilacap,
the port town near Nusakambangan on Wednesday for a co-ordination meeting.
Hendra Eka Putra, the head of Pasir Putih prison on Nusakambangan, said the
meeting would include police, grave diggers, the coffin maker, spiritual
leaders, prison authorities and local government officials. It would be held on
Wednesday in the seaport town of Cilacap.
Information from that meeting would be conveyed to the Attorney-General's
office, which would then send officials to visit the Nusakambangan prison
compound.
"So in my opinion it still takes sometime for the execution to take place," Mr
Hendra said on Sunday.
Meanwhile, in the wake of Mr Joko's confidante - Jakarta governor Basuki
Tjahaja Purnama - urging him to reconsider the death penalty, other prominent
Indonesians have spoken out against capital punishment and the morbid spectacle
of the killing of Chan and Sukumaran.
Jakarta Post senior editor Endy Bayuni warned Mr Joko he would make the
"biggest mistake" of his presidency by putting the two reformed drug syndicate
organisers before a firing squad.
A referendum was needed on the issue, he said.
"But by calling for a referendum on capital punishment, preceded by a national
debate, this would give the perfect pretext for the government to stop all
executions for now," he said.
Meanwhile, Indonesia's former foreign minister Hassan Wirajuda called on the
Indonesian government to tone down its seemingly gleeful rhetoric about plans
for executing foreign nationals on death row, the Jakarta Globe reported.
"[It is] as if we enjoy killing people," Mr Hassan said at the weekend.
But Mr Joko has shown no sign of changing his hardline stance on the
executions, saying the executions are needed to stop a "drugs crisis" and are a
matter of Indonesian sovereignty.
(source: Sydney Morning Herald)
*************************
Commentary: Calling for national referendum on capital punishment
With the government seemingly determined to execute all the remaining 58 people
currently on death row, this would be a good time for the nation to launch a
discourse on whether to retain or abolish capital punishment, and decide on the
issue one way or another through a referendum.
This life-and-death matter has become too important to be decided by one or a
handful of persons. Let the people have their say, after hearing the arguments
from both sides. And while we are at it, the government should impose a stay of
execution for all death-row inmates.
Indonesia recognizes capital punishment in its legal system, but the
Constitution also confers on the president the power to grant amnesty to all
inmates, including the power to commute death penalties. One would assume that
the president would use this power with discretion. Not, as it turns out, with
President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo. As soon as he came into office in October, he
announced that he wanted everyone on death row, mostly for drug trafficking,
executed. This amounted to a blanket rejection of all their clemency appeals,
irrespective of their individual circumstances.
Jokowi argues that Indonesia is in a state of emergency with the drug menace
out of control. He declared war on drug trafficking and that means everyone
already sentenced to death must die. 6 were executed last month and 10 more are
to face the firing squad any day now. Foreign leaders, including from Brazil,
the Netherlands, the Philippines, Australia and France, have all pleaded with
the Indonesian President to spare the lives of their citizens among those on
death row. Jokowi rejected them, each time invoking Indonesia's sovereignty and
its legal system, and explaining to them that he was in the middle of waging a
war against drug traffickers.
These leaders have been around for much longer than Jokowi to be taught a
lesson on national sovereignty. They were appealing to his sense of humanity
and compassion and that he use his discretionary powers. Nothing more and
nothing less. It is exactly what Jokowi expects when he pleads to Malaysian and
Saudi leaders to spare the lives of Indonesians on death row there.
By invoking sovereignty, Jokowi has fired up Indonesian public opinion, with
many responding by jumping even higher. They see the international pleas as an
interference or an imposition for Indonesia's internal affairs, and call for
the swift execution of foreign drug traffickers. They want blood.
Gone is the humble, all ears and soft-spoken Javanese man who captured the
imagination of voters at last year's elections. In his place, we have a
president who is projecting a tough and uncompromising image, and one that has
little or no compassion so that he readily signs the death warrants of dozens
of people on death row, without looking at their individual cases.
Jokowi, or his diplomats, should have handled the dispute more tactfully.
Instead, they are showing an easy and fast way of losing friends.
How much real support the President does have in executing drug traffickers is
difficult to gauge without a referendum. Current sentiments cannot be used to
reflect the public's opinion about capital punishment, not in the absence of a
full debate that hears the full arguments on both sides.
President Jokowi's chief arguments for executing drug traffickers cannot be
accepted at face value just because he has been parroting them: That 50 people
die each day of drug addiction and that 4.5 million people in the country are
victims of drug abuse.
That Indonesia is a haven for drug traffickers may be true, but isn't this more
the problem of law enforcement? When it comes to drug addiction, shouldn't the
1st line of defense be the family, school and community? Scapegoating and
executing drug traffickers will not solve the problem. The jury is still out on
whether or not capital punishment is an effective deterrent. Indonesia is one
of 57 countries that still retain the death penalty while 140 others have
abolished it. It came close to abolishing capital punishment in 2008 when the
Constitutional Court ruled 5-4 in favor of retention. Given that the
Constitution allows for a national referendum, it is time to let people decide
whether to abolish or retain capital punishment. The abolitionists finally have
an icon to lead their campaign. Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama
has publicly spoken up against capital punishment. More public figures like him
should come and join the campaign.
Jokowi may find that some religious leaders willingly endorse his executions,
but religious principles also give the most compelling reason to abolish the
death penalty. Yes, some religions allow the killing of others under certain
circumstances, but almost all major religions of peace, including Islam,
encourage compassion, and that it is better to forgive than to slay your
enemies.
Obviously, it is difficult to expect President Jokowi to back off from his plan
to execute those on death row, even if he wants to now, having personally set
off the motion when he openly declared the war on drugs and drove public
opinion to his side.
But by calling for a referendum on capital punishment, preceded by a national
debate, this would give the perfect pretext for the government to stop all
executions for now.
More than to save the lives of 2 Australians and all other foreigners on death
row, a moratorium on executions would save Jokowi from making the biggest
mistake of his presidency. Most important of all, it would save Indonesia.
(source: Commentary; Endy Bayuni, Editor, Jakarta Post)
*************************
Bali 9 member Martin Stephens says Indonesia's death penalty destroys hope ----
'It is more humane to just take me out the back and shoot me like Andrew and
Myuran,' says courier who was convicted to life in prison
One of the Bali 9 drug smugglers sentenced to life in jail says he has lost
hope under Indonesia's drugs policy and believes it would be more humane to
execute him now, rather than let him die in jail.
Martin Stephens was one of the couriers caught in the 2005 heroin trafficking
plot for which Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran are awaiting execution.
In a letter to the Australian newspaper, Stephens said the decision of the
Indonesian president, Joko Widodo, to refuse the pair clemency made him wonder
what hope there was for freedom or redemption for other drug offenders, like
himself.
"It is more humane to just take me out the back and shoot me like Andrew and
Myuran," he wrote. "What frightens me now is that the new policy of Jokowi has
destroyed hope."
Stephens, 39, is serving his life term in a jail in East Java, where he is
involved in teaching English.
But the newspaper reported he regretted not being able to properly support his
wife, Christine Puspayanti, whom he married while in prison, and was also sad
about the impending executions of Sukumaran, 33, and Chan, 31.
"It could be me being taken to Nusa Kambangan and being shot in the heart. It's
a terrifying thought," he wrote.
Bali's police chief, Albertus Julius Benny Mokalu, said he was still
coordinating with the prosecutor, government agencies and the military
regarding the transfer of Chan and Sukumaran to the execution site. The
transfer is expected to happen within days.
"We're doing the maximum preparation so that when the 2 death-row convicts
leave Kerobokan prison for Batu prison, they'll go safely and comfortably," he
said on Sunday.
For safety reasons, he would prefer to transport the men during the day. "We're
still coordinating to get the best results so there will be no problems," he
said.
The special mobile brigade police on Friday rehearsed the transport of the men
under heavy security to Bali's airport, where the military could then fly them
to Nusa Kambangan, an island off central Java.
Widodo has said no number of representations from foreign governments on behalf
of their death row citizens would stop him carrying out the executions.
(source: The Guardian)
***************
Crucial review on case of Pinay death convict in Indonesia set on Tuesday
A district court in Yogyakarta will begin on Tuesday its crucial review on the
case of a convicted Filipina drug smuggler who is facing execution in
Indonesia, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Monday.
The review will determine whether the Filipino convict's death sentence will be
commuted to life imprisonment or not.
Foreign Affairs spokesman Charles Jose said "the process is already under way"
after Indonesia's Supreme Court transmitted the Filipina's case records to the
lower court.
"We are hopeful that after completion of review, there will be a commutation of
the death sentence," Jose said at a press briefing.
The review was undertaken following a request from the Philippine government in
a bid to save the unnamed Filipino from execution by firing squad.
Jose said the DFA is not aware how long the review will last.
All death penalty cases in Indonesia are entitled to at least 1 judicial review
even if the case has already been upheld by the Supreme Court.
"We have 1 more remedy in this case so let us await for the outcome," Jose
said. "We are taking this 1 step at a time."
The woman, who entered Indonesia as a tourist, was arrested by authorities at
the Yogyakarta Airport on April 25, 2010 for trafficking 2.6 kilograms of
heroin.
Smuggling of large quantities of prohibited drugs is punishable by death in
countries like Indonesia and China.
Since 2011, 5 Filipinos drug couriers were put to death in China through lethal
injection.
In exchange for huge payments, reportedly ranging from $3,000 to $4,000,
Filipino women and lately even men are reportedly being hired by West African
drug syndicates to smuggle drugs mainly in Asia and South America, sometimes by
ingesting it.
A total of 805 Filipinos are detained abroad for drug-related offenses,
according to 2014 DFA data.
(source: GMA News)
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