Singapore executes second prisoner in three weeks for cannabis trafficking

Singapore has hanged its second citizen in three weeks for cannabis trafficking, despite growing calls for the country to end drug-related executions.

A 37-year-old man was executed Wednesday after his latest attempt to reopen his case was rejected by the court Tuesday without a hearing.

He was sentenced to seven years in prison after being convicted in 2019 of trafficking 1.5 kilograms of cannabis.

Under Singapore laws, trafficking more than 500 grams of cannabis can result in the death penalty.

Human rights activist Kokila Annamalai said the man, whose identity was kept anonymous, wanted to reopen his case based on DNA and fingerprint evidence that linked him to a much smaller sum than he admitted to possessing.

“If we don't come together to stop this, we fear this killing spree will continue in the weeks and months to come,” she told AP.

Some 600 prisoners are on death row in Singapore, most for drug offences, she added.

Singapore executed 11 people last year for drug offenses, after a two-year pause due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Transformative Justice Collective (TJC), a group that campaigns against the death penalty, estimates that there are currently 54 people on death row in Singapore, with all but three sentenced to death for drug offenses .

The hanging of Malaysian Nagaenthran Dharmalingam, considered mentally disabled, sparked international outcry and called into question the death penalty in the country.

Three weeks ago, Singaporean Tangaraju Suppiah, 46, was hanged in the first execution this year for trafficking a kilo of cannabis, although he was not arrested in possession of the drug. Prosecutors said his phone numbers made him the person responsible for coordinating the delivery of the drugs, which he denied.

Human rights groups have raised concerns about Suppiah's sentencing process, alleging that he did not have adequate access to an interpreter and had to plead his final appeal alone because his family was unable to find a lawyer.

Activist groups, British tycoon Richard Branson and the United Nations have urged Singapore to halt executions for drug offenses as growing evidence shows the death penalty does not act as a deterrent.

But Singapore authorities insist that the death penalty remains “part of Singapore's overall harm prevention strategy that targets both the demand and supply of drugs.”

Amnesty International said Indonesia carried out 112 drug-related executions by firing squad last year, following a hiatus since 2016.

In contrast, neighboring Thailand has legalized cannabis, while Malaysia has removed the mandatory death penalty for serious crimes.