Singapore hangs drug trafficker, third such execution in a week | Human Rights Issues

The Southeast Asian capital is among the few countries that impose the death penalty for drug offences.

Singapore has hanged a third person convicted of drug trafficking in less than a week despite a request from the United Nations.

Rosman Abdullah, 55, was killed for smuggling 57.43 grams of heroin in the Southeast Asian city, Singapore’s drug enforcement agency said on Friday.

Rosman, who is from Singapore, “was given due process under the law, and was represented by legal counsel throughout the process,” the Central Narcotics Bureau said in a statement.

“Greater punishment is given only for the most serious crimes, such as the trafficking of significant quantities of drugs that cause serious harm, not only to individual drug abusers, but also to their families and society as a whole,” CNB added.

UN experts have called on Singaporean authorities not to detain Rosman, saying the death penalty does little to deter crime and that authorities have not made him a suitable accommodation for his mental disability.

“We are deeply concerned that Mr. Rosman bin Abdullah does not appear to be able to receive accommodation, including individual assistance, due to his disability during his investigation or trial,” the experts said in a statement issued by the UN High Office. Human Rights Commissioner on Wednesday.

Amnesty International condemned Rosman’s planned execution as “shocking” and “horrific”.

Rosman’s hanging in Singapore’s Changi Prison comes a week after a 39-year-old Malaysian man and a 53-year-old Singaporean were killed for drug smuggling.

Despite its reputation as a modern international city-state, Singapore ranks among only a handful of countries, including China and North Korea, that impose the death penalty for drug offences.

Under the country’s laws, anyone who smuggles more than 500 grams of marijuana or 15 grams (0.5 grams) of heroin will face the mandatory death penalty.

Since executions began in March 2022 following a temporary suspension due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Singaporean authorities have executed 24 people, including eight so far this year.

Singapore’s government, which has played a strong role in public protests and the media, has defended the death penalty as a deterrent to drug abuse, citing surveys that show the majority of citizens support the law.