Death Penalty: Singapore executes Indian-origin Malaysian

Singapore has executed an Indian-origin Malaysian man convicted of drug smuggling after a court dismissed pleas to spare him on grounds he was mentally disabled, media reports said on Wednesday. Nagaenthran K Dharmalingam was convicted and sentenced to the mandatory death penalty in November 2010 for importing into Singapore 42.72 grams of diamorphine (heroin) in April 2009.

His conviction and death sentence were upheld in July 2011. Medical experts who assessed Nagaenthran found that he has borderline functioning intelligence and concurrent cognitive deficits, which "may have contributed toward his misdirected loyalty and poor assessment of the risks in agreeing to carry out the offence".

The Court of Appeal dismissed the concern, stating that "[h]is alleged deficiency in assessing risks might have made him more prone to engage in risky behaviour; that, however, does not in any way diminish his culpability." Responding to the execution of Malaysian national Nagaenthran Dharmalingam in Singapore, Amnesty International's Asia-Pacific Regional Director Erwin van der Borght said: "The execution of Nagaenthran is a disgraceful act by the Singapore government - ruthlessly carried out despite extensive protests in Singapore and Malaysia and an outcry across the world."

"Nagaenthran's hanging highlights the deep flaws of the death penalty in Singapore and the horror of its continued use. He was executed after he was sentenced to the mandatory death penalty for drug trafficking, amid concerns about his mental health state and despite having a diagnosed intellectual disability - in violation of international law and standards," Borght added.

According to the London-based rights group, international law and standards prohibit the imposition of mandatory death sentences as these deny judges the possibility of taking into account the mitigating circumstances in the case. Moreover, international law and standards require that the imposition of the death penalty be restricted to the "most serious crimes" involving intentional killing.
(ANI)

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