Despite Opposition, Singapore Executes Indian-Origin Man Over Cannabis Charge

Tangaraju Suppiah was sentenced to death in October 2022 for trying to traffic over 1kg of cannabis into Singapore.

Tangaraju Suppiah.

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter) 

An Indian-origin man convicted of drug trafficking in Singapore was executed on Wednesday, 26 April, after the country declined requests by anti-death penalty activists to stay the capital punishment.

"Singaporean Tangaraju Suppiah, 46, had his capital sentence carried out today at Changi Prison Complex," a Singapore Prisons Service spokesperson told news agency AFP. The execution was carried out after the president had rejected pleas for clemency on the eve of the execution.

Tangaraju Suppiah was sentenced to death in October last year for allegedly trying to traffic over 1 kg of cannabis into Singapore.

He was first detained in 2014 on drug consumption charges and failure to be present for a drug test, Channel News Asia reported.

Several people and institutions had pleaded with authorities in Singapore to halt Tangaraju's conviction, including the United Nations and British billionaire Richard Branson.

"We urge the Government not to proceed with the imminent hanging of Tangaraju Suppiah. Imposing the death penalty for drug offences is incompatible with intl norms & standards," the UN Human Rights Council had said on Twitter.

"In the coming days, Singapore is planning to carry out yet another execution, a case as egregious as previous ones I have followed. If the state gets its way, Tangaraju Suppiah will be hanged on Wednesday at Singapore’s Changi Prison, convicted under more than dubious circumstances for conspiracy to smuggle about one kilo of cannabis. In fact, Singapore may be about to kill an innocent man."

Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson in a blog post.

For Tangaraju Suppiah, statements of support were also issued by the Delegation of the European Union to Singapore and Australian MP Graham Perrett.

Perrett had noted his objections to the Tangaraju's sentence and said that he was "concerned that the planned execution of Tangaraju violates international law standards."

Furthermore, jointly issued by diplomatic missions of Norway and Switzerland in Singapore, the EU statement had called on authorities to stay Tangaraju's execution and commute the awarded sentence to non-capital punishment.

Singapore Defends The Death Penalty

Meanwhile, Singapore's Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) slammed Branson's blog post titled 'Why Tangaraju Suppiah doesn't deserve to die,' which claimed that his conviction was not in accordance with standards.

The MHA said that Branson's claims were "patently untrue" and added that it is "regrettable that Branson, in wanting to argue his ( Tangaraju's) case, should resort to purporting to know more about the case than Singapore's Courts, which had examined the case thoroughly and comprehensively over a period of more than three years."

Singapore stated that Branson's views on the death penalty highlighted "disrespect" for Singapore's judicial system.

"Tangaraju's defence was that he was not the person communicating with the two others involved in the case. However, the High Court found Tangaraju's evidence unbelievable and found that he was communicating with the two others and was coordinating the delivery and receipt of cannabis to himself through the two others."

Singapore Ministry of Home Affairs

Moreover, the ministry reiterated their long-standing claim that the evidence shows Tangaraju coordinating the delivery of drugs for trafficking, and added:

"Tangaraju was involved in a case with two others, where his phone numbers were used to communicate with the two others involved in the delivery of the cannabis."

Moreover, the MHA also repeated Singapore's zero-tolerance stance and multi-pronged approach to tackle drug abuse, and said:

"The death penalty is an essential component of Singapore's criminal justice system and has been effective in keeping Singapore safe and secure."

Back in September 2022, Singapore Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam had justified Singapore's policy of having the death penalty for drug trafficking is in the interest of Singaporeans.

‘Will Continue To Fight’: Tangaraju’s Family Wants To Keep Trying

In a statement to BBC before the execution, Tangaraju's family stated that they were able to meet the 46-year-old behind a glass partition at Changi Prison, after a notice of execution was released last week.

His niece Subhashini Ilango said, "He puts up a brave front for my mother because he does not want her to break down."

"He has mentally prepared for this day to come. He does feel there's a great injustice and he'll be executed for something he did not do," she added.

Meanwhile, his sister Leela said:

"If such an injustice happens to my brother, I wouldn't want it to happen to anybody else so I will continue to fight."

Tangaraju's family has often stated that they will continue their fight for reforms in Singapore's legal system even if he is executed.