Jakarta Globe, Fuska Sani, Feb 28, 2015
A woman with a battery powered candle takes part in a vigil against the death penalty in Sydney on Jan. 29, 2015. (AFP Photo/Saeed Khan) |
Yogyakarta.
A Filipina drug convict on death row, Mary Jane Fiesta Veloso, filed a request
for judicial review on Friday after President Joko Widodo denied her clemency
request.
Veloso was
arrested on April 24, 2010 at Yogyakarta’s Adi Sucipto Airport attempting to
smuggle 2.6 kilograms of heroin. After exhausting her appeals, Joko refused her
plea for pardon in Presidential Decree No. 31/G/2014.
The Sleman
State Court in Yogyakarta has received the judicial review request and court
proceedings will start on Tuesday.
“The
judicial review trial for Mary Jane will take place at the Sleman State Court
next Tuesday,” Nikolaus Kondomo, head of the Yogyakarta state court, said on
Friday.
The
Yogyakarta Attorney General Office’s crime official, Tri Subardiman, said that
his office concurred with the Sleman State Court that a judicial review could
advance despite Joko’s refusal.
“It’s her
legal right as a convict to request a judicial review,” Tri said.
The Sleman
Court will check and validate the evidence that Veloso’s legal representation
will present and then it will forward the evidence to the Supreme Court. The
Supreme Court will decide whether to grant Veloso’s request for a judicial review
and retrial.
“Only once
[Veloso] has exhausted all her legal rights can we move forward on her
execution date,” Tri added.
The
Yogyakarta chapter head of the National Anti-Narcotics Movement, Feryan
Nugroho, welcomed Veloso’s bid for a lesser penalty but pointed out that Joko’s
refusal for a pardon might prejudice her case even further.
“[Requesting
a pardon] means that she has admitted her guilt,” Feryan said. “Let’s just wait
for the judicial review trial. We still hope for the fairest decision.”
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