The execution of Tangaraju Suppiah for illicit drug trafficking was verified by his family on Wednesday, despite their and activists pleadings for mercy. Suppiah was found guilty in 2013 of assisting trafficking of more than 1 kg of marijuana, which is the amount required to receive the death penalty in Singapore, a nation famous for its strict anti-drug regulations.Suppiahs family was represented by human rights campaigner Kokila Annamalai, who confirmed that Suppiah was hanged to death after the President rejected the clemency requests that were made moments before the execution. The Singaporean government has not yet responded to demands for comment on the execution, so it is unknown whether it has made any announcements regarding it.Execution amid the plea of the international communityBritish entrepreneur and well-known critic of capital punishment Richard Branson raised his worries over Suppiahs case. Suppiah was not in possession of the drugs when he was apprehended, according to Branson, so his conviction did not adhere to the norms for a criminal conviction. Bransons comments are a part of his ongoing push to abolish the death sentence, which he has criticised as a cruel and degrading punishment. Despite these concerns, the Singaporean government continues to hold that the nations stringent anti-drug laws are essential for upholding public order and preventing drug trafficking.Singapore is such a wonderful country, so its sad to see some of its social policies harking back to colonisim, and reminiscient of medieval times. Heres more: https://t.co/zMQ4owW4os pic.twitter.com/Vq7R3lUf4o— Richard Branson (@richardbranson) April 23, 2023Branson made several accusations, all of which were directly refuted by the government in an official statement, which asserted that Bransons claims were baseless and a disrespect to the nations judicial system. The government further explained that the relevant legal proceedings had lasted more than three years, during which the court had carefully reviewed and assessed the case. Therefore, the authorities said Bransons claims lacked any foundation and were clearly false.The United Nations Office for Human Rights issued a statement pleading with Singapore not to carry out any executions in an effort to preserve the human rights of people facing the death penalty there for drug-related offences. The UN agency also emphasised the necessity for Singaporean authorities to enact a formal moratorium on the death penalty for drug-related crimes.#Singapore: We urge the Government not to proceed with the imminent hanging of Tangaraju Suppiah. Imposing the death penalty for drug offences is incompatible with intl norms & standards. pic.twitter.com/DPfiahHcqo— UN Human Rights (@UNHumanRights) April 25, 2023The UN Office for Human Rights argument was supported by the organisations dedication to defending the fundamental rights of every person and its steadfast conviction that the death sentence is a harsh sanction that should only be applied in unusual situations. The agency also emphasised that enforcing the death penalty for drug-related offences was ineffective in combating the problem of drug trafficking and urged the Singaporean government to think about other options.Singapore has steadfastly adhered to the policy in the face of worldwide criticism and calls for a moratorium on the death sentence. The death sentence is an effective deterrence against drug-related crimes, according to the government, which has cited the decline in drug-related offences as proof of the programmes effectiveness. Many human rights groups and organisations are pushing for a more nuanced approach to the problem of drug misuse and the death penalty. A total of 11 individuals were put to death in Singapore last year, most of whom were charged with drug-related crimes.
