Singapore Carries Out Fifth Execution Since March

JUL 23 2022·Updated AUG 24

Story

Image credit: Wikimedia Commons

The Facts

On Fri., Nazeri bin Lajim was hanged at Changi Prison for possession of 33.39g of heroin a decade ago, marking Singapore's fifth execution for drug-related crimes in less than four months. He was sentenced to death in 2017.
MalaysiaNow
This comes after the Court of Appeal rejected a plea to halt his execution on Thurs., claiming his appeal was made after the due window period and without reasonable reasons.
Mothership.SG
Nazeri was among the 17 ethnic Malayan prisoners sentenced to death who filed a suit accusing the Singaporean government of discrimination and bias. The case was dismissed last year and deemed an abuse of process.
MalaysiaNow
Since Mar., Singapore has carried out a series of executions after a two-year pause on the death penalty due to the pandemic. In Apr., the execution of Nagaenthran Dharmalingam, a man with learning disabilites, was criticized internationally.
Al Jazeera
Under Singapore's drug laws, the death sentence is mandatory for anybody found guilty of trafficking more than 15g of heroin.
Coconuts
However, international law and standards prohibit the use of mandatory death sentences, and require that the use of the death penalty be restricted to extreme cases.
Amnesty International UK

Sources Split

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The Spin

Pro-establishment narrative

Singapore doesn't take joy in the death penalty, but Singaporeans understand the need for it. The nation's anti-drug strategy has proven to work, as the country has one of the lowest rates of drug abuse in the world. While many express sympathy for drug traffickers who face the death penalty, it's important to remember the immense harm drugs cause abusers and their families.

Channelnewsasia

Establishment-critical narrative

Singapore's use of the death penalty doesn't represent an effective deterrent from crime but instead displays the country's disregard for human life. The practice of mandatory death sentences for drug-related crimes is ridiculously punitive and violates international human rights laws. These executions must stop.

Amnesty International UK