Global Ganja Report

Amnesty International has urged Singaporean authorities to immediately halt the execution of Pannir Selvam Pranthaman, scheduled for Oct. 8. The Malaysian national has been on death row since 2017 for importing 51.84 grams of diamorphine (heroin) into Singapore. Condemning the practice of mandatory death penalties for drug-related offenses as well as "multiple layers of unfairness" in Pranthaman’s case, Amnesty deemed the case emblematic of the Singaporean justice system's violations of international legal standards.

The case was brought to international media attention as Pranthaman's sister campaigned on behalf of her brother in an essay detailing their shared memories, her admiration for his poetry, and his contributions to society. She also established an NGO, Sebaran Kasih, to assist his case and others in a bid to change the Singaporean justice system to address the root causes of drug trafficking instead of focusing on deterrence.

Amnesty said that Pranthaman's case shows deficiencies related to the right to a fair trial (enshrined in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Article 14) and the right to life (ICCPR, Article 6). Under the Singaporean Misuse of Drugs Act, the death penalty is mandatory for drug offenses, except in cases that meet two conditions. First, that the accused only transported the drugs, therefore acting as a mere "courier"; and that the accused has been awarded a certificate confirming that he collaborated with the authorities by providing information to help fight drug trafficking. While Pranthaman met the former requirement, denying any knowledge that he was in possession of the drugs, he was not awarded the certificate. Amnesty International criticized the decision process as generally non-transparent and arbitrary. Furthermore, it condemned the fact that the decision on sentencing was effectively shifted to the prosecution, which failed to issue the certificate.

This legal architecture, according to expert bodies such as the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND), violates international legal standards. Under Article 6 of the ICCPR, the mandatory imposition of death penalty is prohibited, as it denies the possibility of taking into account any particular circumstances in a case. Additionally, under the ICCPR the death penalty is reserved for the “most serious crimes.” As interpreted by the UN Human Rights Committee, this only encompasses acts involving intentional killing.

In 2025 alone, Singapore has executed 11 people by hanging, including nine convicted of drug offenses. It is one of four countries, alongside China, Iran and Saudi Arabia, where executions for such crimes were confirmed in 2024, while close to three-quarters of all countries have abolished the death penalty in practice or in law. Globally, however, this year executions have reached their highest level since 2015.

From JURIST, Oct. 7. Used with permission. 

Follow @GlobalGanjaRpt