On Thursday, Singaporean authorities carried out the execution of 39-year-old former delivery driver, Mohamed Shalleh Bin Abdul Latiff, for the trafficking of 54.04 grams of diamorphine, a controlled substance. This amount exceeds by four times the threshold required to impose the mandatory death penalty as stated under Singapore’s Misuse of Drugs Act. This marks the second execution in just a week by the country. JURIST – News reports.
Throughout his trial, Shalleh maintained his innocence, stating he was under the impression he was transporting illicit cigarettes for a friend. He argued that he was unaware of the bag’s contents due to his trust in his friend. However, the High Court judge dismissed this defense, ruling that Shalleh failed to overturn the presumption of knowledge part of the Misuse of Drugs Act. The stipulation presumes that a person found in possession of drugs would be cognizant of the nature of the drugs. This decision can be read on the eLitigation website.
The implementation of the death penalty for drug trafficking falls under Singapore’s elaborate harm prevention strategy, which addresses both drug demand and supply. The Central Narcotics Bureau argues that capital punishment is retained for the gravest crimes, notably those involving the trafficking of substantial quantities of drugs. These, they claim, cause significant harm to not just individual drug abusers but their families and society at large. The government of Singapore maintains that the use of capital punishment is a crucial instrument in battling drug trafficking and shielding society from the risks posed by controlled substances, as explained in a statement by the Ministry Of Home Affairs.
In spite of the government’s backing of its policy, human rights bodies continue to protest against Singapore’s widespread use of the death penalty for drug-related offenses, arguing that it is in violation of international human rights norms. Amnesty International’s expert on death penalty, Chiara Sangiorgio, denounces Singapore’s recent executions, stating these underscore the country’s lack of reforms concerning capital punishment. According to Amnesty International, the use of the death penalty for drug offenses infringes international human rights laws and standards, and disproportionately influences individuals on the margins. There have been appeals from UN human rights experts to Singapore to reassess the reach of the death penalty, and to implement an official moratorium on all executions with a view towards ultimately abolishing the death penalty, as reported by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.