In a controversial move, Singapore has executed a woman for drug trafficking, marking the first time in 19 years that capital punishment has been used against a female convict in the city-state. This recent execution comes just days after another hanging for a drug-related offense, and activists have voiced concerns that yet another execution is scheduled for the following week.
The executed woman, Saridewi Djamani, aged 45, was sentenced to death in 2018 for trafficking nearly 31 grams (1.09 ounces) of pure heroin, also known as diamorphine, according to the Central Narcotics Bureau. The bureau highlighted that this amount of heroin could potentially support the addiction of approximately 370 abusers for a week. Singapore’s strict laws impose the death penalty for individuals convicted of trafficking more than 500 grams (17.64 ounces) of cannabis or 15 grams (0.53 ounces) of heroin.
Just two days prior to Saridewi’s execution, a 56-year-old Singaporean man, Mohammed Aziz Hussain, was also executed for trafficking around 50 grams (1.75 ounces) of heroin. The Central Narcotics Bureau asserted that both individuals were granted due process, including opportunities for appeals and clemency petitions to the President.
Nonetheless, human rights groups, international activists, and the United Nations have been calling on Singapore to abandon capital punishment for drug offenses. They argue that there is growing evidence suggesting its ineffectiveness as a deterrent. Despite these pleas, Singaporean authorities maintain that the death penalty is crucial in curbing drug demand and supply.
Since the resumption of hangings in March 2022, Singapore has executed a total of 15 people for drug-related crimes, averaging about one execution per month. The last known execution of a woman in Singapore occurred in 2004 when 36-year-old hairdresser Yen May Woen was hanged for drug trafficking.
Transformative Justice Collective, a Singaporean group advocating for the abolition of capital punishment, revealed that another execution notice has been issued for August 3rd, making it the fifth execution scheduled this year alone. The group identified the prisoner as an ethnic Malay citizen and former delivery driver arrested in 2016. He was convicted in 2019 for trafficking around 50 grams (1.75 ounces) of heroin. The group emphasized that the man claimed he believed he was transporting contraband cigarettes for a friend he owed money to and did not verify the contents of the bag due to his trust in the friend.
Despite the court recognizing him as a mere courier, the mandatory death penalty was still imposed. The Transformative Justice Collective condemned the state’s stance on capital punishment and reiterated its call for an immediate moratorium on its use.
Critics of Singapore’s harsh drug policy argue that the capital punishment disproportionately targets low-level traffickers and couriers, who are often recruited from marginalized and vulnerable groups. They also point out that Singapore stands out among countries moving away from capital punishment. For instance, neighboring Thailand has legalized cannabis, while Malaysia has recently abolished the mandatory death penalty for serious crimes.