Amnesty International calls Singapore’s recent drug executions “unlawful”

SINGAPORE: International human rights advocacy group Amnesty International (AI) has put out a press release repeatedly calling the drug executions carried out in Singapore this week “unlawful.”

On Wednesday (July 26), 56-year-old Mohd Aziz bin Hussain was hanged. Two days later, on Friday morning (July 28), 45-year-old Saridewi binte Djamani was executed. Both Singaporeans were convicted of trafficking heroin.

Aside from being the first known execution of a woman in almost 20 years, Ms Saridewi’s hanging was the 15th execution for drug offences since 30 March 2022 – indicating an alarming average of an execution a month.

On Thursday (27 July), local anti-death penalty activists revealed that the authorities had issued another execution notice – the third in eight days – amid two hangings this week. The execution scheduled for 3 Aug will mark the fifth execution in Singapore this year alone if it proceeds as planned.

In response to the executions this week, AI’s death penalty expert Chiara Sangiorgio used the word “unlawful” thrice to describe the hangings ordered by the state. She said:

“This week has cast a harsh and tragic spotlight on the complete lack of death penalty reform in Singapore, as the state carried out two unlawful drug executions, including the first known execution of a woman in two decades.

As most of the world turns its back on this cruel punishment, Singapore’s government continues down the path of executing people for drug-related crimes, violating international human rights law and standards.”

Noting that Ghana abolished the death penalty for most offences just this week, Ms Chiara added: “Ghana is closer to joining the more than two-thirds of countries all over the world that have abolished the death penalty in law or practice. When is Singapore going to wake up and do the same?”

Calling on the Singaporean authorities to halt the “unlawful” executions, she said: “There is no evidence that the death penalty has a unique deterrent effect or that it has any impact on the use and availability of drugs.

In fact, it has the effect of disproportionately punishing and further discriminating those with disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds or belonging to marginalized groups.”

AI has called on governments, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) to step up pressure on Singapore to “end its highly punitive approach to drug control policies.”

The Independent Singapore has approached Singapore’s Law Ministry for comment.