M Ravi: Heavy price to pay for trying to save lives in Singapore 

On Tuesday (June 7), lawyer Ravi MRavi posted a photo of a check for $20,000 he had just handed over to the Attorney-General’s Chambers.

“Heavy price to pay for trying to save lives in Singapore,” he wrote in a Facebook post. However, he still needs to raise another $10,000 in connection to the death penalty cases he’s been handling.

Last month, Mr Ravi, along with Ms Violet Netto, were ordered by the Court of Appeal to pay thousands of dollars in costs in connection to their defence of Nagaenthran K Dharmalingam, a Malaysian national executed in April, despite calls for his pardon from many in Singapore and around the globe.

Nagaenthran was said to have had an IQ of 69 as well as other disabilities.

On May 25, the two lawyers were ordered to pay $20,000 in costs to the AGC. Mr Ravi, who represented Nagaenthran for a longer period of time, was told to shoulder 75 per cent of the costs.

The AGC said that though filing unmeritorious applications, the lawyers had set out to delay the execution, which then gave rise to unnecessary costs. 

Activist Kirsten Han, who appears to be spearheading the crowdfunding effort to help the lawyers, provided a breakdown of the costs Mr Ravi and Ms Netto are being asked to pay:

– $10,000 for an application relating to the disproportionate representation of Malays on death row in Singapore (with further indemnity costs likely forthcoming)

– $20,000 for applications filed in relation to Nagaen’s case

• An estimated $12,000 for applications filed in relation to Roslan, Pausi, and Rosman — three death row prisoners who had received execution notices (but have since received either respite orders or stays of execution) 

At least, the bulk of the payment has been made.

Mr Ravi wrote on June 7 that he had, “Just handed to the Attorney General a Cashiers Order for $20,000 payable to the AGC in respect of the cost order of $20,000 ordered against me and Miss Violet Netto by the Court of Appeal in our representation of Nagenthren who was recently hanged by Singapore.  

There is another sum of $10,000 ordered against me personally by the High Court in respect of my representation on a Constitutional challenge involving 17 Malay inmates. I have raised $3270 so far and $6730 more to go. I have to pay this by 13th June in Less than one week.”

He then appealed for assistance from the public to raise funds for the payments.

Those who would like to donate to the lawyers may find details here. /TISG

Crowdfunding launched for Nagaenthran’s lawyers M Ravi & Violet Netto: $8,427 raised so far