UN rights office ‘deeply troubled’ by Singapore executions: ‘We deplore the hanging’
- The UN said it deplored the hanging on Tuesday of a Malaysian and a Singaporean for drug trafficking, calling for a halt to all scheduled executions
- Two other men, Abdul Rahim bin Shapiee and Ong Seow Ping, are expected to be executed on Friday, the UN human rights office added in its statement
“We deplore the hanging today of two men in Singapore and are deeply troubled by the planned execution of two others on August 5,” UN Human Rights Office spokeswoman Liz Throssell said in a statement.
A Malaysian and a Singaporean were hanged at Changi Prison after being convicted in May 2015 of drug trafficking and their appeals subsequently rejected, she said.
We urge the Singapore authorities to halt all scheduled executions
Two other men, Abdul Rahim bin Shapiee and Ong Seow Ping, are expected to be executed on Friday after the latter’s family was notified of his fate on July 29, Throssell added.
They were both convicted in 2018 of possessing drugs for trafficking and their sentences upheld on appeal, she said.
“We urge the Singapore authorities to halt all scheduled executions,” said Throssell.
“We also call on the government of Singapore to end the use of mandatory death sentences for drug offences, commute all death sentences to a sentence of imprisonment and immediately put in place a moratorium on all executions, with a view to abolishing the death penalty.”
