Mary Jane Veloso has been in jail in Indonesia in the last 14 years.

Mary Jane Veloso, on death row in Indonesia over a drug case, will reportedly be repatriated "around December 20" and may have her death penalty reduced to life in jail. Philippine and Indonesian officials signed an agreement last week to repatriate her. An official in Indonesia's coordinating law, human rights, immigration, and corrections ministry said the government was "still preparing everything" for her transfer. Indonesia's senior law and human rights minister, Yusril Ihza Mahendra, said that a "practical arrangement" had been signed for Veloso’s repatriation and that her release could take place "around December 20" before Christmas. Mahendra also mentioned discussions about reducing her death penalty to life imprisonment. Speaking from prison on Friday (December 13), Veloso expressed her gratitude, calling the planned transfer a "miracle." The 39-year-old mother of two was arrested and given the death sentence in 2010 after the suitcase she was carrying was found to be lined with 2.6 kilograms of heroin. Veloso has maintained her innocence, claiming she was duped by an international drug syndicate into carrying the illegal drugs. She was en route to work as a maid when she was arrested in Indonesia. In 2015, she narrowly escaped execution after her suspected recruiter was arrested. "This is a miracle because, honestly, even now, it still feels like a dream. Every morning when I wake up, I think about my aspirations, aspirations that I never had any certainty about," she said. She now dreams of being reunited with her family after 14 years in prison. "Since I heard the news, my feelings... were leaning more towards happiness. Because after almost 15 years, that is what I am waiting for... I can go home to my country," she added. ICA/Expat Media
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