Singapore executes man arrested for trafficking a kilo of marijuana

A Singaporean man convicted of trying to smuggle about a kilogram of marijuana was executed on Wednesday. The sentence has been criticized by human rights groups and activists, at a time when many other nations, including neighboring countries, have taken a softer approach to drug sentencing.

While cannabis has been legalized in a growing number of countries around the world, Singapore maintains some of the toughest drug laws, and its government remains adamant that the current penalty should remain, and work to deter traffickers.

Tangaraju Suppiah, 46, was sentenced to death in Changi Prison, the Singapore Prison Service said in a statement.

In the days before Tangaraju was sent to the gallows, family members and activists made public appeals for clemency and questioned the safety of his conviction. The European Union office in the city-state and a UN rights office also urged Singapore not to carry out the execution.

“Tangaraju was given due process in accordance with the law and had access to legal advice throughout the process,” the CNB statement said, describing the death penalty as “part of Singapore’s comprehensive harm prevention strategy”.

The Coletivo Justiça Transformativa (TJC), a local abolitionist movement, highlighted what it called “serious problems” with the evidence used to convict Tangaraju, describing it as “shockingly scant”.

Source: CNN Brasil

You may also like