The execution of Malaysian national K Datchinamurthy at Changi Prison in Singapore, which was set to take place this morning (Sept 25), has been unexpectedly halted.
N Surendran, adviser to Lawyers for Liberty (LFL), said the family received a call from the prison authorities at midnight informing them of the development.
We have no further information at this point. We are praying for the best outcome,” he said, as reported by FMT.
Convicted over 44.96g of diamorphine
Datchinamurthy was convicted of trafficking 44.96g of diamorphine into Singapore. He was arrested in 2011 and sentenced to death in 2015.
The execution was initially set for 2022 but was delayed after he obtained a temporary stay following a legal action against the Singapore government regarding the sentence.
Datchinamurthy is among four Malaysian death row inmates whose cases have drawn attention from rights groups and the public.
The others are:
- P Pannir Selvam
- S Saminathan
- R Lingkesvaran
Earlier this month, the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia called on the Malaysian government to intervene in their cases.
Previous appeals rejected
In January 2024, the Singapore High Court rejected an application by two foreign lawyers, Theodoros Kassimatis from Australia and Edward Fitzgerald from Britain to be admitted to the Singapore Bar on an ad hoc basis.
They had applied to represent Saminathan, Datchinamurthy, and Lingkesvaran in their appeals against their convictions and death sentences.
Just two days ago, Singapore police confirmed they were investigating a group of people who delivered two letters to the official residence of the president, appealing for clemency for all four inmates.
For now, no further updates have been provided on Datchinamurthy’s case and his execution remains suspended.
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