Indonesia Firing Squad Executes 8, Spares Woman

Intense international pressure failed to sway Indonesia: It executed seven foreigners and one of its own citizens today via firing squad over drug-smuggling charges, reports the Jakarta Post. However, the newspaper says that a Filipino woman, Mary Jane Fiesta Veloso, was spared at the last moment because the drug courier who allegedly recruited her surrendered in the Philippines.

Veloso, a low-income mother of two, had no idea she was even carrying drugs when arrested, her lawyers have argued. They called her a victim of human trafficking, reports CNN. It's not clear yet whether her execution has been called off or merely postponed. The dead include two Australians, a Brazilian, a Ghanian, and three Nigerians. Families were allowed last visits. (Read more Indonesia stories.)