Botswana secures release of woman on Bangladesh death row

<span>Botswana secures release of woman on Bangladesh death row</span> <span><span>Vusi.Bafetane</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-09-02T14:38:18+02:00" title="Wednesday, September 2, 2026 - 14:38">Wed, 09/02/2026 - 14:38</time> </span>

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<div class="text-long"><p><span>File: Nooses prepared to execute men. Photo by Wali Sabawoon / Wali Sabawoon/NurPhoto / NurPhoto via AFP</span></p></div> </div> </div> </div> </div>

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<div class="text-long"><p><span>File: Nooses prepared to execute men. Photo by Wali Sabawoon / Wali Sabawoon/NurPhoto / NurPhoto via AFP</span></p></div> </div> </div> </div> <span class="a2a_kit a2a_kit_size_36 addtoany_list" data-a2a-url="https://www.enca.com/news-top-stories/botswana-secures-release-woman-bangladesh-death-row" data-a2a-title="Botswana secures release of woman on Bangladesh death row"><a class="a2a_dd addtoany_share" href="https://www.addtoany.com/share#url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.enca.com%2Fnews-top-stories%2Fbotswana-secures-release-woman-bangladesh-death-row&title=Botswana%20secures%20release%20of%20woman%20on%20Bangladesh%20death%20row"></a><a class="a2a_button_facebook"></a><a class="a2a_button_twitter"></a><a class="a2a_button_email"></a></span>

<div class="text-long"><p>GABORONE - <span>Bangladesh has released a Botswana woman sentenced to death for drug trafficking, paving the way for her return home on Wednesday, the Botswana government said.</span><br><br><span>The freeing of the 33-year-old, who was arrested in Dhaka in 2022, follows diplomatic efforts by Botswana authorities and an appeal by President Duma Boko, it said in a statement.</span><br><br><span>"I can confirm that she will arrive in Botswana today," foreign minister Phenyo Butale told AFP.</span></p><p><span> <strong>READ: </strong></span><a href="https://www.enca.com/shows/checkpoint-botswana-new-dawn-23-august-2026"><span><strong>CheckPoint | Botswana new dawn | 23 August 2026</strong></span></a><br><br><span>Lesedi Molapisi, 33, was reportedly found to be carrying heroin when she arrived in Bangladesh on a flight from South Africa. She was sentenced to death in 2024.</span><br><br><span>Botswana said its diplomatic missions in neighbouring South Africa and in India had also engaged with the Bangladeshi authorities over her case.</span><br><br><span>Amnesty International has said more than 2,000 people were known to be on death row in Bangladesh by the end of 2025, with 185 new death sentences recorded that year.</span></p><ul><li><em><span><strong>AFP</strong></span></em></li></ul></div>

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