[Repost] WTC Wrap: 16 May 2026 – “Singapore carried out its 10th execution of 2026 yesterday morning”

17 May 2026

https://www.wethecitizens.net/wtc-wrap-16-may-2026

Singapore carried out its 10th execution of 2026 yesterday morning. It’s a staggering pace of killing.

On Tuesday, during Singapore’s Universal Periodic Review at the UN Human Rights Council, a total of 41 countries made recommendations related to the death penalty, such as urging for a moratorium on executions and respecting the right to life. In its press statement on the session, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reduced this high number of recommendations (even more than the death penalty recommendations made during the last cycle) to a quick and vague reference to “recommendations by several States on the abolition of capital punishment”.

Singapore’s delegation, led by Minister of State for Health and Digital Development and Information Rahayu Mahzam, insisted that our criminal punishment policies are evidence-based and in line with international law—even though international standards make it clear that “[in] countries which have not abolished the death penalty, capital punishment may be imposed only for the most serious crimes, it being understood that their scope should not go beyond intentional crimes with lethal or other extremely grave consequences”. If you’re interested, I found a 2013 paper that begins with discussion of this “most serious crimes” limitation and makes clear that the mandatory death penalty for drug offences—which is what Singapore has—does not meet this standard.

“The use of capital punishment in our criminal justice system is not a decision we have taken lightly, and we do so with a heavy heart,” Rahayu told the Human Rights Council. I’m glad I’d already gone to bed by this point and didn’t see her say this live, or I might still be crawling on my hands and knees, swearing, trying to locate the eyeballs that rolled out of my head. Hanging 10 people in under five months, taking the position that people can be executed despite being party to ongoing legal proceedings or formal complaints against their previous lawyers, and reviewing policy to reduce notice periods for some prisoners is not “heavy heart” behaviour.

Leave a Comment » | death penalty | Tagged: , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by jamestan2019

[Repost] The death penalty and the “most serious crimes” by International Commission against the Death Penalty

16 May 2026

https://icomdp.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Most-serious-crimes_final_6Feb2013.pdf

Please click here to access the rest of the article.

Thank you.

Leave a Comment » | death penalty, Uncategorized | Tagged: , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by jamestan2019

[Statement] Enactment of Capital Punishment Legislation in Israel

4 April 2026

We at MARUAH state our firm condemnation of the recent passage of legislation by the Israeli Knesset that mandates the death penalty for Palestinians convicted of terror-related offenses. This law represents a profound regression in human rights and a violation of the fundamental right to life, which is the cornerstone of international law and the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights. https://www.un.org/en/about-us/universal-declaration-of-human-rights

The introduction of capital punishment within a legal system that already faces scrutiny for its treatment of Palestinians creates a discriminatory and two-tiered judicial regime. By specifically targeting one population and stripping judges of the discretion to consider individual circumstances, this law undermines the principles of justice, equality, and due process.

Furthermore, the expansion of the death penalty to military courts in the occupied territories exacerbates an already volatile situation. History has shown that such measures do not serve as an effective deterrent; rather, they risk fueling further cycles of violence and resentment.

We call upon the Israeli government to immediately repeal this legislation and uphold its obligations under international human rights treaties. The pursuit of security must never come at the expense of basic human dignity and the universal rejection of state-sanctioned killing.

MARUAH

Leave a Comment » | death penalty | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
Posted by jamestan2019

Universal Periodic Review (The Third Cycle) – Stakeholders’ Report to the UN by MARUAH

27 March 2021

In October 2020, MARUAH submitted its Stakeholder’s Report for the third cycle of the Universal Periodic Review focusing on civil and political rights – Freedom of Expression, Freedom of Association, Censorship, Electoral System, Justice (incl minimum working age, corporal punishment, juvenile justice system & death penalty) and Discrimination (incl LGBTQIA, equality of races, women and income inequalities/job opportunities).

We also submitted recommendations in each section based on the SMART framework and draw upon the recommendations made by Human Rights Council to Singapore, our mid-term UPR report (2018), and the past UPRs we have submitted in 2011 and 2015.

Please click here to access the full report.

Leave a Comment » | death penalty, Elections, freedom of expression, Labour, LGBT, Universal Periodic Review (UPR) | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by jamestan2019

The Death Penalty – Yea or Nay? – presentation slides

28 May 2017

Please see below for slides presented at MARUAH’s forum on the death penalty, on 28 May 2017.

1. Chan Wing Cheong – The Singapore story

2. Tan Ern Ser – Public Opinion on the Death Penalty Survey Findings

3. Jack Lee – DeathPenalty-WorldwideView

4. M Ravi – DP Presentation

5. Interview with Sister Gerard Fernandez by Alan John for his book ‘The Unholy Trinity_

Leave a Comment » | death penalty, Events | Permalink
Posted by lee sze yong

Singapore Survey on Public Opinion on the Death Penalty

14 December 2016

The results of a public opinion survey on the Death Penalty, led by Professor Chang Wing Cheong and Professor Tan Ern Ser was released by the National University of Singapore on Thursday.

Ms Braema Mathi from MARUAH supported the survey by providing a NGO perspective. MARUAH is very happy this survey has been carried out, with the kind help of NUS and Prof Roger Hood from Oxford University, who led similar studies in Trinidad, Malaysia etc.

More on the issue of the Death Penalty can also be found on The Death Penalty Project website
http://www.deathpenaltyproject.org/ 

The following findings of the survey report may be of interest

  • only 10 – 12 % of those profiled would support the mandatory death penalty for all cases (murder and drug trafficking);
  • when respondents were asked to rank five policies which they believed would be most likely to reduce very violent crimes leading to death and which four policies most likely to reduce the trade in dangerous drug, in both instances “better moral education of young people” was placed first by a majority of the respondents. Only 5% and 7% of the respondents ranked “greater number of executions” as being most effective to reduce violent crimes and drug trafficking respectively; and
  • those with degree qualification are 1.7 times more likely to support the death penalty than those with primary or lower education.

The survey report can be accessed below.
nus-public-opinion-report

Leave a Comment » | death penalty | Permalink
Posted by lee sze yong

Letter to President Tony Tan on Jabing Kho

18 May 2016

17th May 2016

Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam
President
Republic of Singapore
istana_feedback@istana.gov.sg

Dear President Tan,

We from MARUAH, a human rights organisation, would like to lodge with you, our concerns and also ask that we stay the order to execute Jabing Kho, who is sentenced to be hanged on 20th May 2016, based on the letter received by his family.

We ask for this stay order and a review of the sentencing for the following reasons: – Read the rest of this entry »

Leave a Comment » | death penalty | Permalink
Posted by lee sze yong