Despite pleadings from his family and activists for mercy, Singapore executed a man convicted of drug trafficking on Wednesday, according to a spokesperson for his family.
Tangaraju Suppiah, 46, was found guilty of aiding in the trafficking of more than 1 kg (2.2 pounds) of cannabis in 2013, which is twice the amount that would have resulted in the death penalty in the city-state, which is renowned for its strict drug policies.
The family’s rights advocate, Kokila Annamalai, from Singapore, verified that Suppiah had been hanged after the president turned down requests for clemency the night before his execution.
Suppiah’s conviction did not meet the criteria for a criminal conviction because he was not near the scene of the crime, according to British entrepreneur Richard Branson, a well-known opponent of the death penalty.
The government responded that Branson was spreading false information and insulting its legal system, adding that the accusation was “patently untrue” and that its courts had spent more than three years looking into the matter.
The United Nations Office for Human Rights had also urged Singapore to “adopt a formal moratorium on executions for drug-related offences” and to postpone the execution.
The death sentence is an effective drug deterrent, according to Singapore, which hanged 11 individuals last year. The majority of its citizens also favour the practise.
