Death Row Convict Requests Judicial Review

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.”