The death penalty has deterred major drug syndicates from establishing themselves in Singapore. Abolish the death penalty. Indeed, there have been two executions for drug offences just this month, killings which were condemned by UN human rights officials. Chang claims, for instance, that over two decades, the number of drug abusers arrested each year has declined by two-thirds, from over 6,000 in the early 1990s to about 2,000 in 2011. Current Status of the Death Penalty in Malaysia The death penalty is currently retained for 33 offences in Malaysia, including 12 for which it is the mandatory punishment, and in recent years has been used mostly for murder and drug trafficking. [74] Death penalty supporters, such as blogger Benjamin Chang, claim that Singapore has one of the lowest prevalence of drug abuse worldwide. Similarly, newly released figures indicate that the majority of women confirmed to have been executed in Iran between 2010 and October 2021 had been . Punithan Genasan, 37, was found complicit in drug trafficking by coordinating 2 couriers. Buzz Staff Omar Yacob, a 41-year-old Singapore resident, has been sentenced to death by the court after the police and narcotics officials caught him with 900 grams of charas. Singapore's highest court has upheld the death sentence of two Indian-origin men convicted of conspiring to traffic at least 1.3 kilograms of cannabis in March 2016, according to a media report. A majority of women on death row in countries that still impose the death penalty for drug offenses, such as Thailand (86%) and Malaysia (95% in 2019), are awaiting execution for drug crimes. Since the majority of death row cases in Singapore have to do with drug offences, the rest of this piece will focus on the death penalty for drugs. In Singapore, a country with a zero-tolerance policy on illegal drugs, a man was sentenced to be hanged for trafficking one kilogram of cannabis from . A majority of women on death row in countries that still impose the death penalty for drug offenses, such as Thailand (86%) and Malaysia (95% in 2019), are awaiting execution for drug crimes. "Singapore's use of the death penalty is out of step with the global trend towards abolition and the country is among a handful that still resort to executing those convicted of drug-related crimes. Omar challenged the verdict in the higher court but his plea was rejected and the death penalty stayed. when pressed to defend singapore's death penalty, the singapore government has cited reasons such as the reduction in opium (a drug that has become increasingly obsolete and unpopular globally) trafficking in singapore and a 15-19% reduction in the likelihood that one would traffic a volume of cannabis that would warrant the death sentence (500 … That is why we have used it sparingly and only for the most heinous crimes." (1) 1. In a move sharply criticized by rights advocates as a violation of international human rights law, Singapore has resumed executions for non-violent drug offenses. Singapore, like much of Southeast Asia, has very draconian laws, particularly with respect to drug trafficking - for which, a conviction often leads to the death penalty. The court verdict was delivered in February 2021. Section 17 of the Misuse of Drugs Act lists the amount of controlled drugs beyond which, the person who carries them shall be presumed to possess them for the purpose of drug trafficking unless proven otherwise: The possession, consumption, manufacturing, import, export, or trafficking of these and other controlled drugs in any amount are illegal. 4 of these call for the mandatory death penalty, where the death penalty must be given and judges are not able to take into consideration mitigating circumstances when sentencing: Murder Drug trafficking Terrorism Singapore has a zero-tolerance attitude towards drugs, and anyone caught carrying more than 15 grams of diamorphine may face the death penalty. But the high-profile case of Nagaenthran Dharmalingam, a mentally impaired death-row inmate with an IQ of 69 in the country's Changi Prison, really struck a chord with the British billionaire entrepreneur, a long-time anti-death-penalty advocate. The idea that harsh drug laws such as the death penalty are effective is one actively promoted by Singapore. Abdul Kahar bin Othman was executed on 30 March 2021, after being sentenced to the mandatory death penalty for drug-related offences - the first known execution in Singapore since November 2019. Singapore's lawmakers have passed legal reforms aimed at easing the city-state's long-standing mandatory death penalty for drug trafficking, a policy often criticized by human rights groups . World Drugs Cannabis Crime Death penalty. Using Zoom video conferencing, a Singaporean judge on May 15 remotely sentenced a man to death by hanging. Under Singapore's laws, anyone who trafficks drugs is liable for the death penalty - from syndicate leaders, to distributors, to couriers who transport drugs, and pushers who sell drugs - as long. Since the majority of death row cases in Singapore have to do with drug offences, the rest of this piece will focus on the death penalty for drugs. All those who have had their execution set in Singapore since late 2021 have been convicted of and sentenced to the mandatory death penalty for drug-related offences. The statute's penal provisions are severe by most nations' standards, providing for long terms of imprisonment, caning, and capital . On March 30, 2022, the authoritarian city/state hanged Abdul Kahar bin Othman on charges of drug trafficking, its first execution since November 2019. After a short hiatus of no executions in Singapore, we call on the authorities to halt a feared new wave of hangings. The reduction of a death sentence to life imprisonment for a convicted drug trafficker in Singapore is a landmark step, but must now be followed by continued reforms, Amnesty International said today. In November 2012, the Parliament of Singapore made amendments to the mandatory death penalty regime. For example, any adult . Regardless, Singapore urges the community, particularly anti-death penalty activists, to look at the bigger picture of the possible increase in crime caused by drug abuse, and the impacts of such crimes on victims and their families, should the death penalty be abolished. The Misuse of Drugs Act is a drug control law in Singapore classifying substances into three categories, Classes A, B, and C. Section 44 provides that "The Minister may, by an order published in the Gazette" add, remove, or transfer drugs among the classes. Singapore: See Misuse of Drugs Act (Singapore). In Singapore, there are 32 offences that could potentially warrant death sentences. Chang claims, for instance, that over two decades, the number of drug abusers arrested each year has declined by two-thirds, from over 6,000 in the early 1990s to about 2,000 in 2011. Former Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Kuan Yew was grilled on BBC HARDtalk, an in-depth interview with hard-hitting questions posted by host Tim Sebastian.T. The death penalty exists as a punishment for a multitude of offences in Singapore, but it's generally used for three main ones (in this order): drug trafficking, murder, and firearms offences. All those who have had their execution set in Singapore since late 2021 have been convicted of and sentenced to the mandatory death penalty for drug-related offences. That is why we have used it sparingly and only for the most heinous crimes." (1) 1. SINGAPORE The death penalty: A hidden toll of executions "Singapore recognizes that the death penalty is a severe penalty and cannot be remedied in the event of any mistake in its application. [76] According to Singapore's Misuse of Drugs Act, being found in possession of 15g of heroin, or 500g of cannabis, is enough for one to be presumed to be trafficking. There are some exceptions to this . Abdul Kahar was convicted and sentenced to death via mandatory death sentence in 2015 for drug trafficking. And it is a belief now allegedly being adopted by US president Donald Trump. South Korea: Drug trafficking can result in a death penalty; however, South Korea has not had an execution for any offense since 1997. The death penalty exists as a punishment for a multitude of offences in Singapore, but it's generally used for three main ones (in this order): drug trafficking, murder, and firearms offences. SINGAPORE The death penalty: A hidden toll of executions "Singapore recognizes that the death penalty is a severe penalty and cannot be remedied in the event of any mistake in its application. At present, there has been much media focus on Yong Vui Kong, a young Malaysian man who was sentenced. SINGAPORE - Tough laws against drug abuse - with the death penalty for serious drug offences - and robust enforcement have been pivotal in keeping the number of drug abusers low, said Prime . Singapore has some of the world's harshest drugs laws, and the death penalty is mandatory for anyone found guilty of importing more than 15 grams of diamorphine. Similarly, newly released figures indicate that the majority of women confirmed to have been executed in Iran between 2010 and October 2021 had been . The death penalty is imposed in Singapore for offences such as intentional murder, gang robbery with murder, trafficking of significant quantities of drugs, terrorist bombing, and the use of firearms. The Singapore government should focus on evidence-based and community-based approaches rooted in the respect of public health and human rights to avert drug dependence and other societal harms that may result from the use of drugs. Death penalty supporters, such as blogger Benjamin Chang, claim that Singapore has one of the lowest prevalence of drug abuse worldwide. The death penalty exists as a punishment for a multitude of offences in Singapore, but it's generally used for three main ones (in this order): drug trafficking, murder, and firearms offences. Abdul Kahar bin Othman was executed on 30 March 2021, after being sentenced to the mandatory death penalty for drug-related offences - the first known execution in Singapore since November 2019. Under Singapore's draconian Misuse of Drugs Act, the courts must impose the death penalty for drug offenses involving certain quantities of listed narcotics. November 14, 2013 Singapore: Landmark ruling lifts death penalty for drug offender. "When it comes to the death penalty in Singapore, it is clear to me that it's no deterrent to crime, but it may well be a deterrent to those seeking to invest and trade in the future . South Sudan Since the majority of death row cases in Singapore have to do with drug offences, the rest of this piece will focus on the death penalty for drugs. They talk about the harms that drugs can inflict . International human rights law and standards further prohibit the imposition of the death penalty for drug-related offences and as the mandatory punishment for any offences. There was, however, a slight relaxation of the rules . Abdul Kahar bin Othman (1954 - 30 March 2022) was a Singaporean drug trafficker who was found guilty in 2013 of two charges of trafficking a total of 66.77 grams of diamorphine in Singapore, and later sentenced to death by the High Court in February 2015. This means that death sentences and executions are a regular part of the criminal justice system. Singapore's lawmakers have passed legal reforms aimed at easing the city-state's long-standing mandatory death penalty for drug trafficking, a policy often criticized by human rights groups . The death penalty exists as a punishment for a multitude of offences in Singapore, but it's generally used for three main ones (in this order): drug trafficking, murder, and firearms offences. The idea that harsh drug laws such as the death penalty are effective is one actively promoted by Singapore. If found guilty, the penalty is death, unless you fulfil specific criteria which would allow a judge to sentence you to life imprisonment, plus caning (judicial corporal punishment). Singapore says the death penalty is a necessary and effective deterrent to drug traffickers, but critics say it only punishes small-time couriers rather than the criminal kingpins behind the. After the end of his trial, Abdul Kahar tried to make appeals to challenge the verdict, but the courts dismissed his legal challenges and . INTRODUCTION1. "When it comes to the death penalty in Singapore, it is clear to me that it's no deterrent to crime, but it may well be a deterrent to those seeking to invest and trade in the future . In the wake of Abdul Kahar's execution, Han told the Guardian that "t[h]e Singapore government regularly claims that the death penalty is an effective deterrent to drug trafficking. Responding to the rejection of the death penalty appeal of Malaysian national Nagaenthran Dharmalingam and the imminent execution of Abdul Kahar bin Othman in Singapore, Amnesty International's Southeast Asia Researcher Rachel Chhoa-Howard said: "A man sentenced to the mandatory death penalty for drug-related offences faces execution on Wednesday, and fears are growing that more are […] Abolish the death penalty. Muhammad Ridzuan Md Ali is one of the latest drug traffickers executed in Singapore on May 19, 2017, after his appeals were all thrown out. International human rights law and standards further prohibit the imposition of the death penalty for drug-related offences and as the mandatory punishment for any offences. Singapore: For Richard Branson, the notion of an advanced country like Singapore still hanging prisoners is outrageous. Since the majority of death row cases in Singapore have to do with drug offences, the rest of this piece will focus on the death penalty for drugs. The government's main reason for imposing the death penalty for drug trafficking is to send "a strong signal to would-be offenders, to deter them from committing crimes." However, there is little. "Singapore's use of the death penalty is out of step with the global trend towards abolition and the country . Before then, the death penalty for drug trafficking was completely mandatory; an individual . Amnesty opposes the death penalty unconditionally, in all cases and under any circumstances. Recent execution in Singapore. INTRODUCTION1. 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