Singapore conducts fifth execution in four months

Bloomberg

Singapore carried out its fifth execution for drug-related crimes in less than four months, Amnesty International said, while neighbors Malaysia and Thailand move to relax punishments for similar offenses.
Nazeri bin Lajim was hanged Friday for possession of 33.4 grams (1.2 ounces) of heroin a decade ago, the rights group said, as Singapore continued to press ahead with executions in March after a more than a two-year lull during the pandemic. That compares with four in all of 2019 and 13 the prior year, according to Amnesty data.
“This relentless wave of hangings must stop immediately,” Amnesty death penalty adviser Chiara Sangorgio said in a statement.
“The use of the death penalty in Singapore, including as mandatory punishment for drug-related offenses, violates international human rights law and standards.”
The Singaporean Ministry of Home Affairs didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment Friday.