Friday’s fourth execution for Singapore in less than a month was of 35-year-old Masoud Rahimi Mehrzad for narcotics trafficking. Found guilty in 2013, dual national Singaporean-Iranian Rahimi carried more than 31 grams (1.1 ounces) of diamorphine, sometimes known as heroin. Notwithstanding international protests and multiple petitions from Iran to stop the death sentence, the Singaporean government went ahead with imposing it.
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The worldwide indignation before Masoud Rahimi Mehrzad’s execution has drawn a lot of attention on his case. Born in Singapore from an Iranian father and a Singaporean mother, Rahimi was found guilty of drug trafficking and sentenced to mandatory death under Singapore’s tight narcotics policies. The national legal system holds that any trafficking of more than 15 grams of heroin warrants the death sentence.
In the days before Rahimi’s hanging, his legal team submitted numerous petitions including a last-minute attempt to postpone the death. Still, the Court of Case dismissed the matter on Thursday, just one day before the punishment was handed. Although he admitted Iran’s respect for Singapore’s legal system, Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi urged his counterpart in Singapore, Vivian Balakrishnan, to reconsider the execution on humanitarian grounds. But on November 29, 2024 Singapore executed the hanging.
Stance of Singapore on the Death Penalty
Claiming that it is a necessary deterrence against drug trafficking and other serious crimes, the government of Singapore has long defended the administration of the death sentence. In a statement, the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) of the country stressed once more that the death sentence is reserved for the most heinous offenses, including trafficking huge amounts of drugs that significantly impact society. This execution ranks as the fourth in a three-week span, following the same sentences imposed on other drug offenders in mid-November.
The executions follow a more general trend; Singapore has resumed applying the death sentence once more in March 2022 following a two-year hiatus imposed on by the COVID-19 epidemic. Nine people have been put to death this year; eight for drug-related offences, one for murder.
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Commentary from Other Countries and UN Repeated Calls for Abolition
Particularly for non-violent crimes including drug trafficking, human rights organizations and the UN have long opposed the death sentence. Professionals argue that there is no evidence whatsoever supporting the death sentence as a successful deterrent. Given world tendencies toward abolition, the UN has advised Singapore to reconsider the death sentence.
Still a strongly debated issue both domestically and internationally, the death sentence in Singapore divides people. Critics respond that Singapore ignores the basic issues of drug addiction and trafficking, even if the country claims to have helped to preserve the low crime rate and general safety of its citizens. Rahimi’s most recent execution marks only one example of Singapore’s commitment to maintaining the death sentence in light of growing worldwide calls to have it abolished.
Tight drug laws and frequent executions in Singapore reveal how tough the country takes on drugs. For others, these rules are regarded as absolutely essential in maintaining public peace and safety in a place where drug-related crimes are a big concern. However, since countries all throughout the world are moving away from the death sentence, the series of recent executions has sparked new debate on whether such a severe punishment is actually necessary. As Singapore continues to kill individuals, its attitude to justice and human rights comes under more and more worldwide scrutiny.
While Singapore follows its uncertain course, the debate over the death sentence is still far from resolved and the world watches closely. Although pressure is certain to rise with continuous demands from organizations like the UN, it is yet unknown if this will lead to changes.
