Human rights organizations are calling on the Singaporean government to halt the scheduled execution of Omar bin Yacob Bamadhaj, a 41-year-old Singaporean national convicted of cannabis trafficking. The execution is set for April 16, 2026.
The appeal for a stay of execution was issued on April 15, 2026, by Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, the Capital Punishment Justice Project (CPJP), and the Anti-Death Penalty Asia Network (ADPAN).
Case Background and Sentencing
Omar bin Yacob Bamadhaj was arrested on July 12, 2018, during a routine check at the Woodlands Checkpoint, the border crossing between Singapore and Malaysia. Authorities found him in possession of 1,009 grams of cannabis.
Under the 1973 Misuse of Drugs Act, cannabis is classified as a Class A controlled drug. Omar was subsequently convicted of importing the substance. Following the dismissal of his appeal by Singapore’s highest court in October 2021, he was sentenced to death in February 2022.
The mandatory nature of the death penalty in this case was tied to specific legal requirements. Although the judge determined that Omar’s involvement was limited to the transportation of the drugs, the prosecution did not provide a certificate confirming that he had substantively assisted investigations to disrupt further trafficking. Under the Misuse of Drugs Act, both conditions must be met for a defendant to qualify for sentencing discretion; without the certificate, the judge was required to impose the death penalty.
Family Appeals and Humanitarian Concerns
On April 2, 2026, the Singapore Prison Service notified Omar’s family that the execution would take place two weeks later. On April 12, 2026, his wife, Alexandra Maria, a German national, sent a letter to the office of President Tharman Shanmugaratnam appealing for clemency.
At the time of his 2018 arrest, Omar was living in Germany and was no longer a resident of Singapore. His wife stated in her plea that he had returned to Singapore specifically to spend the holy month of Ramadan with his extended family. Their children, daughter Amal and son Naqeeb, remained in Germany during the arrest.
The family has faced significant hardship during Omar’s incarceration. Due to financial constraints and the need for specialized medical treatment for their son, the family was unable to visit Omar in prison. Their son, Naqeeb, passed away in November 2025 at the age of 11.
Karen Gomez-Dumpit, convenor at ADPAN
Omar and his family have already endured unimaginable suffering since his incarceration in 2018. Executing him now would only compound that pain and leave his daughter without ever truly knowing her father.
Legal Precedent and Human Rights Standards
The appeal for clemency cites a recent precedent. On August 14, 2025, President Shanmugaratnam granted clemency to 33-year-old Tristan Tan Yi Rui, commuting a death sentence to life imprisonment. Tan had been sentenced for trafficking 337.6 grams of methamphetamine, another Class A controlled drug. The Home Affairs Ministry stated at the time that the Cabinet recommended clemency based on the specific facts and circumstances of the case.
Human rights advocates argue that Singapore’s use of capital punishment for drug offenses violates international standards. United Nations experts and the UN high commissioner for human rights maintain that the death penalty should be reserved only for the most serious crimes, a category that does not include drug-related offenses.
Rachel Chhoa-Howard, Southeast Asia researcher at Amnesty International
The death penalty is the ultimate cruel, inhumane, and degrading punishment. Singapore’s continued use of the death penalty for drug-related offenses is a violation of international human rights law and standards and places the city-state increasingly out of step with the rest of the world on this issue.
Execution Trends in Singapore
Statistics indicate an increase in the use of the death penalty in Singapore. In 2025, authorities executed 15 people for drug-related offenses, which was seven more than the previous year. Since January 1, 2026, seven people have already been executed, all for drug-related crimes.
Jacinta Smith, chair at the Capital Punishment Justice Project, stated that while other Asian countries have moved to reduce reliance on capital punishment, Singapore appears committed to increasing executions for drug crimes, describing the government’s stance as a total disregard for the right to life.
Bryony Lau, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch, has urged concerned governments to call for the commutation of Omar’s sentence and suggested that commuting all death sentences for drug-related offenses should be the first step toward full abolition.