GENEVA (28 April 2023) – UN experts* today strongly condemned Singapore’s execution of Tangaraju s/o Suppiah on Tuesday (26) and called on the Government to impose an immediate moratorium on capital punishment in the country.

Tangaraju, a 46-year-old Tamil national from Singapore, was executed despite claims that he had not been provided with adequate interpretation during police interrogations. He was subsequently convicted of drug trafficking.

“The death penalty can only be carried out after a legal process with every possible safeguard that ensures a fair trial, including legal representation at every stage of proceedings and necessaryinterpretation in all oral proceedings,” the UN experts said.

The rate of execution notices for drug-related offences in Singapore was “highly alarming”, they said.

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