Hanged for 57 grams of drugs: Third execution in a week in Singapore

The death penalty for Rosman Abdullah, a 55-year-old Singaporean. Criticism from human rights associations and the UN, which challenge the city-state's extremely strict laws, questioning their effectiveness in deterring drug trafficking. Already 24 death sentences have been carried out since the resumption two years ago after the Covid-related blockade.

Singapore - (AsiaNews) - A 55-year-old man went to the gallows on Friday for trafficking illegal drugs. Rosman Abdullah, a Singaporean, was the third drug dealer to be put to death in a single week under the city-state's tough anti-drug laws.

Rosman's execution came exactly one week after that of a 39-year-old Malaysian and a 53-year-old Singaporean for similar drug trafficking offences.

The UN called for a halt to these hangings, while Amnesty International condemned Rosman's execution as ‘chilling’ and ‘extremely alarming’. Human rights groups say capital punishment has no proven deterrent effect and have called for its abolition, but Singaporean officials insist it would help make the country one of the safest cities in Asia.

The Singapore Narcotics Bureau (CNB) said the death sentence was carried out against Rosman Abdullah, who was convicted of trafficking 57.43 grams of heroin. According to the country's strict anti-drug laws, the death penalty is handed down for any quantity above the 15 gram threshold. According to the CNB, Rosman was granted all the prerogatives provided by law in the trial.

Convicted in July 2010, Rosman had exhausted his avenues of appeal, including that of obtaining an act of clemency from the president. His execution is the eighth in the city-state this year, seven for drug trafficking offences and one for murder.

Singapore, with its reputation as a modern city-state and international financial hub, has hanged 24 people since it resumed carrying out the death penalty in March 2022, after a two-year halt during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The spokeswoman for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ravina Shamdasani, reiterated her call for the country to reconsider its position: ‘The use of the death penalty for drug-related offences is incompatible with international law,’ she said, emphasising the mounting evidence demonstrating the ineffectiveness of capital punishment as a deterrent.

Singapore is one of the few countries - including Indonesia, China and North Korea - that provide for the death penalty for drug-related crimes. Last year, Malaysia formally passed new legislation to abolish the mandatory death penalty for a number of serious crimes, including murder, drug trafficking, treason and terrorism. Instead, Malaysian courts now have the option of imposing prison sentences of up to 40 years.