Singapore’s loss of life row ‘principal factor of its drug coverage’ | Loss of life Penalty Information

Singapore’s use of the loss of life penalty was as soon as once more thrust into the worldwide highlight final month when Tangaraju Suppiah turned the primary particular person to be executed within the city-state this yr.

His case centred on the trafficking of simply greater than 1kg of hashish and made headlines around the globe, with some expressing shock at Singapore’s nonetheless strict strategy to medication.

Final yr, 11 males are identified to have been hanged by the state. Singapore’s jail authorities don’t report particulars of those circumstances, so info is gathered by way of households of prisoners or marketing campaign teams.

One such organisation, the Transformative Justice Collective (TJC), believes that there are at present 54 folks on loss of life row in Singapore, with all however three of them sentenced to loss of life for drug-related offences.

“It reveals that the Singapore authorities may be very dedicated to the loss of life penalty being the principle factor of its drug coverage”, stated Sara Kowal, vice chairman of the Capital Punishment Justice Challenge in Australia.

Human rights specialists from the United Nations have additionally pointed to the variety of loss of life row prisoners who’re from ethnic minorities, saying: “a disproportionate variety of minority individuals had been being sentenced to the necessary loss of life penalty in Singapore”.

Analysis from the TJC discovered that just about two-thirds of the offenders handed the loss of life penalty for drug offences between 2010 and 2021 had been of Malay ethnicity, a minority within the city-state.

Al Jazeera contacted Singapore’s Ministry of Residence Affairs for remark, however they didn’t reply.

They’ve stated beforehand that the nation’s “felony legal guidelines and procedures apply equally to all, no matter background – race, nationality, training degree or monetary standing”.

The Ministry has additionally defended the usage of the loss of life penalty, arguing that capital punishment is “a vital part of Singapore’s felony justice system and has been efficient in maintaining Singapore secure and safe”.

Regardless of worldwide strain, the city-state has proven little urge for food for softening its powerful medication legal guidelines, and campaigners this week stated that they had been alerted to the hanging — scheduled for Could 17 — of an inmate convicted of trafficking hashish.

The UN says that, if retained, the loss of life penalty ought to solely be used for essentially the most severe crime and that drug offences don’t attain that threshold.

However the newest report on the usage of the loss of life penalty in 2022  has discovered that the variety of international executions for drug-related offences greater than doubled final yr in contrast with 2021.

The prisoners profiled beneath are a few of these dwelling on loss of life row in Singapore after being discovered responsible of drug costs.

Pannir Selvam Pranthaman

Pannir was 27 years previous when he was arrested in 2014 on the Woodlands border checkpoint within the island’s north, which separates Malaysia and Singapore.

Inspection officers discovered small baggage of medication strapped to his groin and stuffed into the backseat compartment of his bike.

He was arrested and charged with smuggling 51g of diamorphine (heroin). Below Singapore regulation, anyone discovered with greater than 2g of diamorphine is presumed to have that drug for the needs of trafficking.

Three years after his arrest, Pannir was sentenced to loss of life.

Pannir, a musician from the northwestern Malaysian metropolis of Ipoh, has fought repeatedly for his execution to be halted, supported by his household who’ve arrange an internet site and began a petition for his freedom.

They’ve additionally shared the songs and poems Pannir has written whereas on loss of life row within the hope of elevating consciousness of his plight.

In Could 2019, their worst fears had been realised when Pannir was given a date for his execution.

“Earlier than this, he had by no means been accused or convicted of any crime. The information of his loss of life sentence got here as a whole shock to our household, and devastated us,” Pannir’s household wrote within the petition.

Pannir filed a last-ditch felony movement to try to keep alive. He was set to characterize himself in court docket, however two attorneys unexpectedly agreed to tackle his case.

On the eve of his execution, Pannir was granted a reprieve by the Court docket of Enchantment after he stated he deliberate a authorized problem to the president’s rejection of his attraction for clemency.

His household say his expertise on loss of life row in Changi Jail has remodeled him, that he feels “deep regret” for his actions, and that he now desires the possibility to coach others on the dangers of drug abuse.

For now, Pannir’s destiny stays within the palms of the authorized system. He’s a part of a bunch civil litigation swimsuit in opposition to the Singapore Jail Service over personal letters being launched to the Legal professional-Basic’s Chambers.

That case was not too long ago adjourned for 10 weeks, granting Pannir extra time.

Syed Suhail bin Syed Zin

Syed Suhail bin Syed Zin was arrested in Singapore in August 2011. He was 35 on the time.

The Singaporean was convicted in 2015 for possessing 38g of diamorphine for trafficking. He was sentenced to loss of life a yr later.

Like Pannir, Syed has beforehand been assigned a date for his hanging. He was additionally given a keep of execution with only a day to spare.

He realized of the date of his execution in September 2020, when Singapore’s borders had been closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

It meant a lot of Syed’s shut family in Malaysia had been unable to go to him. He mirrored on this in a letter to his lawyer simply three days earlier than he was scheduled to hold.

“The insensitivity and the completely new degree of cruelty that call makers have determined to unleash, is felt extra so by my family members, though it’s directed at me”, he wrote.

Syed’s sister, Sharmila, shared one other letter that she had acquired from her brother in April 2022.

“The harshness and cruelty that some have claimed is simply, shouldn’t be. Two wrongs don’t make a proper. In the long run, there’s solely a legacy of bloodshed that posterity might not even need on their palms anymore,” he wrote.

Syed is now a part of the identical civil litigation as Pannir. His execution has additionally been stayed as he awaits the result of that case.

Saridewi Djamani

Saridewi Djamani is considered one of solely two ladies understood to be on loss of life row, in response to the TJC.

“As a result of we’re not as intently related to the households of ladies on loss of life row, and since the ladies are held individually from the boys, we don’t get quite a lot of info coming to us about their circumstances and remedy”, Kirsten Han, a Singaporean who campaigns in opposition to the loss of life penalty, instructed Al Jazeera.

A drug consumer, Saridewi was 40 years previous when she was sentenced to loss of life in 2018.

She was charged with possessing simply greater than 1kg of “powdery substance”, which included 30g of diamorphine, for the aim of trafficking.

Her case centres round occasions that occurred at her residence in Singapore in June 2016.

It was there that prosecutors say she met a Malaysian man who gave her a plastic bag of medication in trade for envelopes which contained not less than 10,050 Singapore {dollars} ($7,526) in money. The court docket paperwork present the person had a further envelope containing 5,500 Singapore {dollars} ($4,119) when he was caught.

Cops arrived at Saridewi’s flat shortly after. The investigators alleged that when she heard them arriving, she instantly began throwing the medication out of her kitchen window.

It was solely afterwards that she let the officers into the residence the place they arrested her following a search of the flat and its environment, they stated.

Native media reported that Saridewi claimed she was stocking up on heroin for Ramadan, the Muslim fasting month, as a result of she thought she may must take extra of the drug.

The court docket dismissed her defence and court docket paperwork present {that a} additional attraction was unsuccessful.

Little else is thought about Saridewi, and none of her household have come ahead to publicise her case.

Datchinamurthy Kataiah

Datchinamurthy was 25 when he was caught with virtually 45g of diamorphine on the Woodlands Checkpoint.

Together with his three sisters, he grew up in Johor Bahru, a Malaysian border city dwelling to many who commute day by day to Singapore for work. He was heading from there into Singapore when he was arrested.

Datchinamurthy was sentenced to loss of life in 2015 and failed in an attraction a yr later. In his defence, Datchinamurthy claimed he thought the medication had been Chinese language medicines.

In April 2022, he was notified of his impending execution. Datchinamurthy was set to be hanged simply two days after fellow Malaysian Nagaenthran Dharmalingam was executed.

Nagaenthran’s case had sparked worldwide condemnation of Singapore, after he was discovered to have an IQ of 69, suggesting an mental incapacity.

On the eve of his scheduled execution, Datchinamurthy needed to characterize himself throughout an attraction listening to, as his household had been unable to safe authorized counsel.

Regardless of this, Datchinamurthy received. He’s additionally a part of the civil litigation case together with Syed and Pannir. The court docket dominated that he needs to be granted a keep of execution whereas that case makes its approach by means of the courts.

Simply days earlier than that dramatic last-minute attraction, phrases from Datchinamurthy’s mom had been learn out at a uncommon protest in opposition to the loss of life penalty in Singapore.

“These are our youngsters, birthed from our our bodies, and also you received’t allow us to contact them”, learn TJC’s Kokila Annamalai on behalf of Lakshmi Amma.

Her phrases reference how households can solely see family on loss of life row behind a glass panel, with no contact allowed.

Masoud Rahimi Mehrzad

Masoud Rahimi Mehrzad was arrested for drug offences in Could 2010. He was 20 on the time — younger sufficient to nonetheless be serving obligatory Nationwide Service in Singapore.

Driving a rented sports activities automotive to Bishan MRT station within the coronary heart of the island, he was tailed by law enforcement officials.

On the station, Masoud met a Malaysian man who obtained out of his personal automotive and climbed into Masoud’s Mazda RX8. Shortly afterwards, the pair parted methods however each had been arrested later at separate places.

Officers searched Masoud’s automotive and located medication, a few of which had been in a bag branded with Mickey Mouse. He was charged with the possession of 31g of diamorphine for the needs of trafficking and confronted the identical cost for 77g of methamphetamine (crystal meth).

In accordance with court docket paperwork, Masoud instructed police that he was affected by post-traumatic stress dysfunction and anxiousness.

Masoud additionally claimed that the medication had been planted in his automotive by an unlawful money-lending syndicate after he instructed them he not needed to work for them.

The Excessive Court docket rejected this defence and Masoud was convicted.

Like many prisoners on loss of life row, little extra is thought about his state of affairs.

In 2021, Masoud’s sister signed a public letter calling on Singapore’s President Halimah Yacob to abolish the loss of life penalty.

A yr later, he was amongst a bunch of loss of life row inmates looking for out extra about whether or not their personal letters had been handed to the Legal professional Basic. Not like Pannir, Masoud’s case was dismissed.