Singapore Set to Execute Woman for Drug Trafficking After 19 Years

On Friday, Singapore is set to carry out the execution of Saridewi Djamani, a 45-year-old woman, accused of drug trafficking.

This would be the first time in 19 years that such a sentence has been carried out in the country.

If the execution proceeds, it will mark the first instance of a woman being executed in Singapore since 2004.

The Transformative Justice Collective (TJC) revealed that Djamani was handed a mandatory death sentence in 2018 for being in possession of 30g of heroin, with the intent to traffic.

Recent Execution and Singapore’s Stance on Drug Offenses

Just a day before, Mohd Aziz bin Hussain, a 56-year-old Singaporean man, was executed for trafficking 50g of heroin.

Singapore, along with China, Iran, and Saudi Arabia, is one of the four countries that carries out executions for drug-related charges.

The country imposes a mandatory death penalty on those convicted of trafficking more than 500 grams of cannabis or 15 grams of heroin.

Djamani’s execution, if carried out, would bring the total number of drug-related executions to 15 since March 22 of the previous year.

Disputed Claims and International Perspective

Djamani argued that she was unable to provide accurate statements to the police during her trial due to suffering from symptoms of drug withdrawal.

However, this claim was dismissed by the judge.

Similarly, Mr. Hussain had also contested the admissibility of his statements, alleging coercion by the investigating officer who had promised him a reduced non-capital charge.

These claims were disputed by the officer in question.

Amnesty International, which advocates against the death penalty, stated that over two-thirds of countries worldwide have either abolished capital punishment or do not practice it.

Singapore’s neighboring country, Malaysia, has had an official moratorium on executions since 2018 and has recently repealed the mandatory death penalty, including for drug-related offenses.

Amnesty International’s Perspective

Amnesty International’s death penalty expert, Chiara Sangiorgio, condemned Singapore’s stance on executions for drug offenses.

She argued that there is no evidence to support the idea that the death penalty acts as a unique deterrent or has any significant impact on drug use and availability.

Sangiorgio highlighted that many countries have been moving away from the death penalty and implementing drug policy reforms, whereas Singapore appears to be defying these international safeguards on the use of capital punishment.

The Singaporean government, however, maintains that their policy helps to deter drug use and combat organized crime.

Past Execution of a Woman on Drug Charges

The last woman to be executed in Singapore for drug trafficking was Yen May Woen, a 36-year-old hairdresser from China.