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Singapore faces criticism for use of death penalty and allegations about prisoner treatment

In April, 46-year-old Tangaraju Suppiah was executed by the Singaporean authorities after being found guilty of conspiring to smuggle cannabis. In 2022, all 11 people executed in Singapore had also been convicted of drug-related charges. However, the IBA’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) says that drug-related crimes don’t ‘meet the threshold of “the most serious crimes” for which death sentences may be imposed under Article 6(2) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights’.

In August 2022, the IBAHRI condemned the rise in executions in Singapore and urged the country to move towards abolishing the death penalty. Singapore’s Ministry of Law and its Ministry of Home Affairs, however, jointly stated last autumn that ‘there is no international consensus against the use of capital punishment when it is imposed according to the due process of law and with judicial safeguards’. A spokesperson for the two ministries told Global Insight that the death penalty is an ‘effective deterrent’ when it comes to the ‘most serious crimes’, including the trafficking of significant quantities of drugs as well as crimes such as murder.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights was among those to request that the execution of Suppiah be abandoned, highlighting that ‘imposing the death penalty for drug offences is incompatible with international norms and standards’ and noting its concerns around due process and respect for fair trial guarantees in relation to the allegations against Suppiah. Amnesty International suggested that Suppiah didn’t have access to a lawyer or a Tamil interpreter during his interrogation by the police.

In 2022, Nagaenthran K Dharmalingam, a Malaysian national with psychosocial disabilities, was also executed in Singapore. Prior to his death, members of the Special Procedures of the UN Human Rights Council raised concerns that Dharmalingam had not been provided with the necessary procedural accommodations for his disabilities during interrogation.

‘The current situation as it comes to access to counsel, fair trial rights and the inability of capital defence lawyers to practice because of the types of intimidation and harassment they face is a huge access to justice and rule of law issue’, says Preetha Gopalan, Joint Head of UK Litigation and Project Lead – Death Penalty (South East Asia) at the non-governmental organisation Reprieve. ‘What we’ve seen in the last year is a significant number of individuals having to self-represent from prison via Zoom, sometimes in cases where their lives are hanging in the balance. To say that this is a system that has access to fair trials and due process, it’s just completely not in line with the facts on the ground.’

 

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The use of the death penalty in Singapore and the treatment of prisoners in the country have been subjects of criticism and concern. The International Bar Association's Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) has stated that drug-related crimes do not meet the threshold of "the most serious crimes" for which death sentences may be imposed under international human rights law.

In August 2022, the IBAHRI condemned the increase in executions in Singapore and called for the country to move towards abolishing the death penalty. However, Singapore's Ministry of Law and Ministry of Home Affairs have stated that there is no international consensus against the use of capital punishment when it is imposed according to due process and judicial safeguards.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and Amnesty International have also raised concerns about Singapore's use of the death penalty. They have highlighted issues with due process, fair trial guarantees, and access to legal representation and interpretation for prisoners. In the case of Tangaraju Suppiah, who was executed for drug-related charges, Amnesty International suggested that he did not have access to a lawyer or interpreter during interrogation.

Another case that raised concerns was that of Nagaenthran K Dharmalingam, a Malaysian national with psychosocial disabilities, who was also executed in Singapore. Members of the UN Human Rights Council's Special Procedures expressed concerns that Dharmalingam was not provided with necessary accommodations for his disabilities during interrogation.

According to Preetha Gopalan from the non-governmental organization Reprieve, the current situation in Singapore raises issues of access to counsel, fair trial rights, and the intimidation and harassment faced by capital defense lawyers. Gopalan points out that individuals have had to self-represent via Zoom from prison, sometimes in cases where their lives are at stake, suggesting that the system does not provide fair trials and due process.

Overall, the criticism and allegations surrounding the use of the death penalty and prisoner treatment in Singapore highlight concerns about the country's adherence to international human rights standards and the need for reforms to ensure fair trials, due process, and respect for the rights of prisoners.