‘The death penalty is not a deterrent’ — Richard Branson weighs in on executions in Singapore this week

SINGAPORE: As two people on death row were set to be judicially executed this week in Singapore, billionaire businessman Richard Branson, a longtime proponent for capital punishment to be abolished, again weighed in, tweeting that “The death penalty is not a deterrent.”

Transformative Justice Collective, an organization that seeks the reform of Singapore’s criminal justice system, earlier this week said that Mohd Aziz bin Hussain, a 56-year-old Singaporean Malay man 56, and Saridewi Djamani, a 45-year-old Singaporean woman, 45, had been informed of their impending executions, which were scheduled for Wednesday (July 26) and Friday (July 28), respectively.

Both were convicted on drug trafficking charges in 2018, and Saridewi’s execution marks the first time in nearly two decades for a woman to receive the death penalty. The last time a woman was executed in Singapore was reportedly in 2004, when Yen May Woen, a 36-year-old hairdresser, received the death penalty for drug trafficking.

Mr Branson, who has appealed many times on behalf of death row convicts, tweeted several times on Thursday about the executions.

“Shameful that Singapore’s leaders continue to hang people for non-violent drug offences, joining countries like North Korea and Iran that still do so against evidence and better judgement,” he wrote.

“Small scale-drug traffickers need help, as most are bullied due to their circumstances. The death penalty is not a deterrent.”

“Today, Singapore’s authorities hanged a man. On Friday, they plan to execute a woman. It’s time for Singapore’s killing spree to stop before its reputation is permanently damaged.  It’s still not too late to grant mercy to Saridewi Djamani.”

In April, Mr Branson joined the chorus of voices condemning the execution of Tangaraju Suppiah, as he did in the 2021 high-profile case of Nagaenthran Dharmalingam.

And last October, the Ministry for Home Affairs invited the British billionaire to a live televised debate with the Minister for Home Affairs and Law, Mr K Shanmugam, on Singapore’s approach towards drugs and the death penalty.

The MHA had released a statement on Oct 22 clarifying certain statements that Mr Branson had made concerning Nagaenthran, who was judicially executed on April 27, 2022.

Mr Branson declined the invitation from the MHA. /TISG

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