Singapore has executed Malaysian national Pannir Selvam Pranthaman, for trafficking 51.84g of heroin into the country in 2014.
His death was confirmed today (Oct 8) by his sister, Sangkari Pranthaman, and activist Kirsten Han, a member of the Transformative Justice Collective.
In response, family lawyer N. Surendran told the New Straits Times that Singapore appears to be on an “execution spree” and accused the authorities of “targeting” Malaysians on death row.
“Pannir is the second Malaysian in less than two weeks to be executed. The Malaysian government must intervene with Singapore, as there are more Malaysians on death row,” he said.
‘There was every reason not to kill Pannir’
Activist Kirsten Han said Pannir had spent his years in prison turning his life around.
There was every reason not to kill Pannir. He and his family had cooperated with the authorities to the best of their ability. He became a writer, a poet, an activist.
“Through his family, he set up an NGO to assist others in need. He had redeemed himself in every way he could,” she said.
Supporters also held a candlelight vigil outside the Singapore High Commission, urging the government to spare him.
Spent years on death row
Pannir was convicted by the Singapore High Court on June 27, 2017, after he was caught trafficking heroin at the Woodlands checkpoint on Sept 3, 2014.
He was sentenced to the mandatory death penalty and has been on death row since.
His appeal was dismissed by the Court of Appeal in February 2018 and his clemency petition to the president of Singapore was also rejected.
On Sept 6 of this year, the Court of Appeal dismissed his final bid to delay the execution, which was linked to disciplinary proceedings against one of his former lawyers.
Judge Woo Bih Li wrote in his decision: “There is no basis to grant the present application to order a stay of execution. I therefore dismiss it summarily without the need for an oral hearing.”
The judge added that there was “nothing exceptional whatsoever about the circumstances of the present case.”
Human rights groups have long criticised Singapore’s use of the death penalty for drug offences.
Reportedly, Amnesty International said executions for drug-related crimes violate international human rights standards and has urged Singapore to halt them.
2nd Malaysian execution in two weeks
This marks the second time in less than two weeks that Singapore has carried out the death penalty on a Malaysian inmate.
On Sept 25, 39-year-old Malaysian K. Datchinamurthy was also executed for a drug-related offence.
Singapore’s laws mandate capital punishment for anyone found guilty of trafficking more than 500g of cannabis or 15g of heroin.
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