Singapore is bracing for its first execution of a woman in nearly two decades, marking a significant event that has caught the attention of media outlets like AFP. The country is preparing to hang two drug convicts this week, and human rights groups are voicing urgent calls to stop the impending executions.
Local rights organization Transformative Justice Collective (TJC) revealed that a 56-year-old man, found guilty of trafficking 50 grams of heroin, is scheduled to face the gallows at Changi Prison on Wednesday. The following day, 45-year-old Saridewi Djamani, who was sentenced to death in 2018 for trafficking approximately 30 grams of heroin, is set to be executed.
This execution would mark the first time since 2004 that Singapore has put a woman to death. Previously, in 2004, 36-year-old hairdresser Yen May Woen was hanged for drug trafficking, a grim reminder of the country’s strict anti-drug policies.
Leading human rights watchdog Amnesty International has issued a stern appeal to Singapore, urging authorities to halt the upcoming executions. According to the group’s death penalty expert, Chiara Sangiorgio, Singapore’s pursuit of further executions in the name of drug control is both cruel and unwarranted. She highlighted the lack of evidence supporting the death penalty’s efficacy in deterring drug-related crimes, aligning with the global trend of countries embracing drug policy reform and abolishing capital punishment.
Despite mounting international pressure, Singapore stands firm on its belief in the deterrent effect of the death penalty. TJC reported that both individuals facing execution are Singaporean citizens, and their families have been informed of the impending doom.
Singapore enforces the death penalty for certain crimes, including murder and specific forms of kidnapping, making it one of the world’s toughest stances on capital punishment. For instance, trafficking over 500 grams of cannabis or 15 grams of heroin can result in a death sentence.
The resumption of executions after a two-year hiatus during the Covid-19 pandemic has led to at least 13 individuals being hanged in Singapore. As the global discourse on the death penalty and drug policies continues to evolve, these executions have become a subject of scrutiny and criticism, prompting debates about the effectiveness and ethics of capital punishment.