The Singaporean authorities have sentenced a 45-year-old woman to capital punishment for her involvement in drug trafficking, following her conviction for trafficking 30g of heroin back in 2018.
Human rights advocates, according to BBC, have expressed concern as Saridewi Djamani, a Singaporean citizen, faces execution, becoming the second drug convict to meet this fate in a span of three days. The first was fellow Singaporean Mohd Aziz bin Hussain, and this will be the 15th drug-related execution since March 2022.
Djamani’s case, as stated in the report, marks the first instance in 20 years where a woman faces execution in Singapore. Singapore’s steadfast adherence to its tough anti-drug laws, seen as a necessary safeguard for society, is a key aspect of the situation.
Based on the evidence of trafficking 50g of heroin, Aziz was convicted under the death penalty provisions of Singaporean law. The law’s stipulations include capital punishment for trafficking more than 15g of heroin and more than 500g of cannabis.
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Tangaraju Suppiah, a Singaporean, was executed in April of the previous year for his involvement in the trafficking of 1kg of cannabis, even though he had no direct contact with the drugs. The investigation exposed that he organised the sale through a mobile phone.
When approached by the BBC, Singapore’s Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) remained tight-lipped and chose not to comment on the specifics of Djamani’s case.
The Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) reaffirmed in an earlier statement that Aziz’s legal proceedings were conducted with ‘full due process,’ and his appeal against the conviction and sentence was subsequently dismissed in 2018.
British billionaire Sir Richard Branson has reiterated his objections to Singapore’s execution policy, asserting that the death penalty does not serve as an effective deterrent against criminal behaviour.
‘Small-scale drug traffickers need help, as most are bullied due to their circumstances,’ Branson said on Twitter. He said it is not too late to stop Saridewi’s execution.
Based on the information provided by the Transformative Justice Collective, a human rights organisation in Singapore, Djamani was identified as one of the two women currently awaiting the death penalty in the country.
Djamani’s case is recorded as the first time a woman has been executed in the city-state since 2004 when Yen May Woen, a hairdresser, met the same fate for drug trafficking, similar to Djamani’s charges.
According to local media reports, Saridewi testified during her trial, explaining that she had been hoarding heroin for her personal use, with the intent of consuming it during the Islamic fasting month.