Singapore Supreme Court denial of death penalty mentally ill Malay man smuggling heroin
On March 29, CNN reported that the Singapore Court of Appeal The (Supreme Court of Justice of Singapore) rejected the final appeal of the intellectually handicapped man. who was sentenced to death for drug smuggling after the defendant’s lawyer argued that The trial violated international law because the defendant was mentally handicapped.
The trial was a way to end all legal means to halt executions. and advocacy groups say Thamlingam could be hanged within days.
The case has attracted international attention. including from the United Nations Malaysian Prime Minister and British Billionaire Richard Branson And it brings Singapore’s drug-free law back into careful consideration.
Nagaenthran Thamlingam, a 34-year-old Malaysian citizen, was arrested in 2009 for bringing 42.7 heroin into Singapore. Thamlingam was found guilty and sentenced to death in 2010. He later appealed on the grounds of mental disability. and asked lawyers to begin a trial to end the death penalty.
“The Singapore Court of Appeal recently dismissed the petition and considered Filing an appeal is a violation of the process and that International law does not apply NagaEnthran, who has aphasia. He is scheduled to be hanged in the coming days,” said M. Ravi, one of Thammalingam’s lawyers. Specified in a message posted on Facebook on Tuesday, March 29
High Judge Suntaret Menon said at the hearing. “There is no conclusive evidence that The appellant’s mental state deteriorated after the commission of an offense. The cases raised by the appellant’s lawyers are unfounded and unfavorable, both factually and legally,” Menon said in court documents.
The court also dismissed the request for Mr Thammalingam to be evaluated by an independent panel of psychiatrists.
In the month of Oct. 64 The Thamlingam family was informed of the imminent execution of Mr Thamlingam. Mr. Thamlingam’s lawyer team began to fight the case at the last minute. But the Singapore High Court dismissed the petition in November. but allowed to suspend the execution in order to be able to appeal the judgment of the High Court
Subsequently, the appeal hearing was postponed because Thammalingam contracted COVID-19. Until Tuesday, March 29, an appeal verdict left Mr Thammalingam with no further legal options.
Anti-Death Penalty Group Reprieve said Mr Thamlingam was facing imminent execution. unless pardoned by Singapore’s President, Halimah Jacob.
Maya Foa, director of the reprieve stated in the statement that “We are deeply concerned about the ruling and the rushed decisions in this case. This is a violation of NagaEnthran’s right to a fair trial. which should be protected from the death penalty for intellectual disability
“The shocking fact that NagaEnthran believes He was about to go home to his family and talk about sharing home-cooked meals with them. It shows that he doesn’t really understand that he is facing execution. and lack of mental capacity to receive the death penalty.”
death penalty
Singapore has some of the strictest drug laws in the world. Trafficking in certain narcotics, such as 15 grams of heroin, carries the death penalty under the Drug Abuse Act. but recently and after the case of Nong Thamlingam began The law was amended so that the accused would not be executed in certain circumstances.
Mr Thamlingam’s lawyers argued that Mr Thamlingam should not be sentenced to death under Singapore law. because Mr. Thammalingam did not understand his own actions. And that psychologists assessed Mr. Thamlingam’s IQ score of 69, which is internationally recognized as an intellectual disability.
Lawyers also argued at the trial that Mr. Thamlingum has severe attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with a range of cognitive impairments. and severe alcohol consumption offenses
The lawyer also said Thamlingam has been sentenced to death for ten years. and during that time Mr. Thamlingam’s condition worsened.
N. Surendran, Malaysian lawyer Representatives of the Thamlingam family, an adviser to Malaysia’s NGO Lawyers for Liberty, said in November. 64 saying, “He had no good feeling about what was happening around him, he was confused, he had no idea what would happen to him.” “The execution of a child”
However, a Singapore court said on Tuesday March 29 there was no convincing evidence that Dharmalingam’s mental state had deteriorated. The judge ruled that The lawyer’s claim of Mr Dhamma Lingham’s mental decline is: “self-acting and “not supported by anything”
According to court documents, Supreme Judge Menon said the dispute was conducted in a manner intended to delay the execution.
