Families of executed prisoners call for moratorium and review of death penalty

SINGAPORE: Singapore’s death row prisoners’ families are calling for a moratorium on executions and a review of the death penalty. The relatives of executed prisoners also joined them in their petition.

They submitted the petition to the Ministry of Home Affairs on Monday (Oct 9), the eve of World Day Against the Death Penalty, reported Al Jazeera. They also sought a meeting with the Minister for Law and Home Affairs, Mr K. Shanmugam. The petition gathered more than 1,700 signatures.

The petitioners said in a statement that 16 people have been “killed… as part of a war on drugs” in Singapore since March 2022.

The petitioners included Sarah, whose brother Masoud, arrested at 20 for drug offences in 2010, is one of the youngest prisoners on death row. Also present was Kellvina, whose uncle Kalwant Singh was executed last year. She flew in from Malaysia, reported Gutzy Asia, a Taiwan-based publication.

“Tomorrow, on World Day Against the Death Penalty, 38 prisoners on death row will go before the court to challenge the Post-Appeal in Capital Cases Act, a recent law that further undermines their right to access the courts,” the petitioners said. “We draw strength from their solidarity and cheer them on.”

Amnesty International says Singapore was one of four countries last year where drug-related executions were confirmed.

Singapore’s Ministry of Home Affairs says the use of the death penalty for drug offences is an effective deterrent that keeps Singaporeans “safe from the harmful effects of drugs”.

The Ministry of Home Affairs website says: “A 2018 survey was conducted on Singapore’s Anti-Drug policies, and it was found that there was a strong support for Singapore’s anti-drug policies and tough stance against drugs.”

Responding to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights’ request for information on the death penalty, Singapore stated in March 2022:

“There is no international consensus against the use of the death penalty when it is imposed according to the due process of the law and with judicial safeguards. Every country has the sovereign right to determine its own criminal justice system, based on its circumstances and in accordance with its international obligations. This has been reaffirmed in the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) resolutions.”