POFMA correction order issued to activist group Transformative Justice Collective over claims about death row prisoner

SINGAPORE: A group aimed at reforming Singapore’s criminal justice system was issued a correction order under the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA) on Thursday (Aug 8).

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said there had been false claims in an article published on the website and social media posts of the Transformative Justice Collective (TJC) on Aug 1.

According to the MHA, TJC made a number of false statements about how prisoners awaiting capital punishment are treated. This included one concerning the execution of a Singaporean on death row, scheduled for Aug 2, allegedly without regard for due legal process.

Others include the arbitrary staying of the death penalty and the drawing up of laws related to it.

TJC also reportedly claimed that prisoners on death row are denied legal counsel in court proceedings and must rush to prepare and argue their own cases, which are deliberately scheduled to be heard at short notice

“The government takes a serious view of the deliberate communication of falsehoods,” said MHA, whose statement addressed and clarified the claims made by the rights group, including the due process of law given the individual in question, who was arrested on charges related to drug trafficking on Apr 12, 2016.

Initially scheduled for capital punishment on Sept 24, 2020, he filed three review applications from September 2020 to June 2024, all of which were dismissed.

“All prisoners awaiting capital punishment (PACPs) are treated fairly and have access to legal counsel throughout court proceedings. They are assigned legal counsel under the LASCO, which is administered by the State, for their trial and appeal, which can last several years.

After their right of appeal has been exhausted, they are free to engage counsel of their choice to represent them in any post-appeal applications. An execution is only scheduled when a prisoner has exhausted all rights of appeal and the clemency process,” the MHA added.

TJC has been required to carry correction notices on its website and alongside its Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter) posts. The group has begun to do so, adding a social media comment that it will respond to the POFMA direction in due course.

TJC has long condemned the death penalty in Singapore and encourages others to raise their voices against it. The group works closely with the families of those who are scheduled for judicial execution. /TISG

Featured image: Depositphotos

Read also: 2 people to be executed for drug offences in Singapore, including 1st woman in 20 years — Transformative Justice Collective