The Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development (APWLD) together with our members, Migrante International and KABAR BUMI urgently calls on Indonesian President Jokowi Widodo to take swift and decisive actions to free Mary Jane Veloso, including granting clemency as requested by the Philippine government, or granting amnesty on humanitarian grounds.
Today marks the 14th year since Mary Jane was imprisoned and sentenced to death for unwittingly being made a drug mule on April 25, 2010. A vibrant global campaign to save her life resulted in Mary Jane being granted a last-minute temporary reprieve in April 2015. Her trafficker turned herself in a day prior to the scheduled execution and a human trafficking case against her trafficker was filed in a Philippine Court. Almost a decade later from when she was saved from execution, Mary Jane remains in prison with no certainty but a little hope.
Despite the Philippine Supreme Court’s decision allowing Mary Jane to testify against her traffickers through a written deposition, Mary Jane has yet to begin the process of providing her testimony that will prove she is a victim of human trafficking due to delays in the Philippine legal court.
We firmly believe that Mary Jane has been deprived of a fair trial. She is a victim of exploitation, and was tricked into carrying luggage with drugs to Indonesia, and facing unfair trial in Indonesia. In October 2010, she was handed a death sentence, despite international law dictating that death sentences are only reserved for the most serious crimes – not drug crimes.
Many international, regional and national women and human rights organisations have since campaigned and consistently demand both the Indonesian and Philippine governments to act swiftly and free Mary Jane.
We strongly assert that the human rights of Mary Jane have been violated on multiple fronts – including her right to a fair trial, access to justice, and equal protection under the law as outlined in International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights as well as her right to assistance and protection as victim of trafficking as outline in the Palermo Protocol, all of which were ratified by both Indonesia and the Philippines.
We will remain committed to supporting Mary Jane until she reclaims her freedom and justice is served. With this, we demand that:
- The Indonesian government to grant Mary Jane executive clemency based on humanitarian grounds and release Mary Jane without any more delays;
- The Philippine government must act swiftly on Mary Jane’s legal case to prove that she is an innocent victim of trafficking and appeal to the Indonesian President for Executive Clemency;
- Mary Jane’s right to testify must be protected and upheld; and
- Both the Indonesian and Philippine governments must provide reparation and compensation to Mary Jane for the harm that she and her family endured over 14 years.
