First in 20 years: Singapore to execute woman for selling 30g heroin

Human rights advocates have reported that Singapore is set to execute a woman for the first time in nearly 20 years. The woman has been identified Saridewi Djamani, a 45-year-old Singaporean national, who was found guilty of trafficking 30g (1.06oz) of heroin back in 2018. This execution marks the second instance of a drug convict being put to death within a span of three days. Prior to Saridewi’s case, Mohd Aziz bin Hussain, another Singaporean, met a similar fate. The country has witnessed a total of 15 drug-related executions since March 2022. Singapore maintains some of the strictest anti-drug laws globally, asserting that these measures are essential to safeguard society. Aziz, for instance, faced the death penalty for trafficking 50g of heroin. Under Singaporean law, the death penalty can be applied for trafficking offenses involving over 15g of heroin or more than 500g of cannabis. The Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) of Singapore has stated that Aziz was given a fair trial with due process, and his appeal against conviction and sentence was dismissed back in 2018. However, concerns from human rights organizations and figures like British billionaire Sir Richard Branson persist, arguing that the death penalty does not serve as an effective deterrent against crime. The forthcoming execution of Saridewi Djamani has sparked further debate, with activists pointing out that there is no substantial evidence to support the claim that capital punishment deters drug-related offenses or reduces drug availability. Amnesty International, in particular, has expressed disapproval, asserting that Singapore, along with China, Iran, and Saudi Arabia, stands among the few countries that have recently carried out drug-related executions. According to the Transformative Justice Collective, a Singapore-based human rights group, Saridewi is one of only two women on death row in the city-state. She will become the first woman to be executed since Yen May Woen, a hairdresser, who met the same fate in 2004 for drug trafficking. During her trial, Saridewi admitted to selling drugs like heroin and methamphetamine from her residence, though she downplayed the scale of her activities. This case has raised questions about the efficacy of such stringent drug laws and the wider support it enjoys among the Singaporean public. As the date of this execution approaches, debates surrounding human rights, crime deterrence, and the nature of punishment continue to be at the forefront of discussions both within Singapore and around the world.