Singapore executes woman for the first time in 20 years

Officials in Singapore confirmed that a 45-year-old Singaporean national, Saridewi Djamani, was executed on Friday, marking the first execution of a woman in almost 20 years. She was found guilty of trafficking 30g (1.06oz) of heroin in 2018.

This execution follows the recent execution of another Singaporean, Mohd Aziz bin Hussain, who was convicted of trafficking 50g of heroin in 2017. Singapore’s strict anti-drug laws mandate the death penalty for those caught trafficking more than 500g of cannabis or 15g of heroin.

Saridewi’s case went through the legal process, including an unsuccessful appeal against her conviction last year, as well as a rejected petition for presidential pardon. Her execution occurred just two days after Aziz’s hanging. Earlier in April, Tangaraju Suppiah was executed for trafficking 1kg (35oz) of cannabis, a case that sparked criticism due to authorities’ claim that he never physically touched the drugs.

The use of the death penalty for drug offenses in Singapore has drawn international criticism, with figures like British billionaire Sir Richard Branson condemning it, stating that it is not a deterrent against crime and advocating for more support and assistance for small-scale drug traffickers. Human rights groups, such as Amnesty International, argue that there is no evidence supporting the unique deterrent effect of capital punishment and that it goes against international safeguards. Alongside China, Iran, and Saudi Arabia, Singapore is among the few countries that have recently carried out drug-related executions.