Singapore executes Indian-origin man for cannabis trafficking

Kokila Annamalai, a Singapore-based rights activist representing the family, confirmed Suppiah had been executed by hanging after the president had rejected pleas for clemency on the eve of the execution. The Singapore government did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

British billionaire Richard Branson, a well known opponent of the death penalty, had said the verdict against Suppiah did not meet standards for criminal conviction as he was not near the drugs when he was arrested.

Singapore is such a wonderful country, so it’s sad to see some of its social policies harking back to colonisim, and reminiscient of medieval times. Here’s more: https://t.co/zMQ4owW4os pic.twitter.com/Vq7R3lUf4o

— Richard Branson (@richardbranson) April 23, 2023

The government in response said Branson was peddling falsehoods and disrespecting its justice system, adding that its courts spent more than three years examining the case and Branson’s claim was “patently untrue”.

The United Nations Office for Human Rights had also called for Singapore not to proceed with the execution and to “adopt a formal moratorium on executions for drug-related offences”.

#Singapore: We urge the Government not to proceed with the imminent hanging of Tangaraju Suppiah. Imposing the death penalty for drug offences is incompatible with intl norms & standards. pic.twitter.com/DPfiahHcqo

— UN Human Rights (@UNHumanRights) April 25, 2023

Singapore executed 11 people last year and says the death penalty is an effective deterrent against drugs and that most of its people support the policy.