The case of Singaporean national Saridewi Djamani, 45, highlights the country's strict anti-drug laws and its stance on capital punishment for drug-related offences. She was found guilty of trafficking 30g (1.06oz) of heroin in 2018. Her execution will make her the second drug convict to be executed in three days, following fellow Singaporean Mohd Aziz bin Hussain, and the 15th since March 2022, BBC reports on July 27.
Singapore is known for having some of the world's toughest anti-drug laws, with the death penalty being applied for trafficking more than 15 g of heroin and over 500g of cannabis. Both Saridewi and Aziz were convicted of drug trafficking offences, and Aziz's appeal against his conviction and sentence was dismissed in 2018.
Despite criticism from figures like British billionaire Sir Richard Branson, who argue that the death penalty is not a deterrent against crime, Singapore maintains that strict drug laws are necessary to protect society and that capital punishment for drug offences enjoys public support.
Saridewi is one of two women on death row in Singapore, and her execution will be the first of a woman in the city-state since 2004 when hairdresser Yen May Woen was executed for drug trafficking.
Amnesty International, along with other anti-death penalty advocates, challenges the effectiveness of the death penalty as a deterrent and argues that there is no evidence of its unique deterrent effect or its impact on drug use and availability. They condemn Singapore's decision to proceed with these executions, highlighting that it goes against international safeguards on the use of the death penalty.
Singapore's approach to drug-related executions puts it in the company of countries like China, Iran, and Saudi Arabia, making it one of the few nations to have recently carried out such capital punishments. Despite these international criticisms, Singapore maintains its tough stance on drug-related offences and continues to carry out capital punishment for convicted drug traffickers.
Follow Daryo's official Instagram and Threads pages to keep up to date on world news.
Comments (0)