UN expert’s turn to ask Singapore to cancel execution of mentally disabled man

SINGAPORE – A group of experts human rights (HAM) PBB have requested Singapore to stop the execution of a citizen Malaysia who smuggled drugs into the city-state which will be done this week. The request was made because the man is known to suffer from a mental disability.

Nagaenthran Dharmalingam, 33, was due to be hanged on Wednesday, but the court postponed his execution pending an appeal to be heard on Tuesday.

The court previously rejected arguments that hanging Nagaenthran would violate Singapore’s constitution because he is intellectually disabled.

“We are deeply concerned that if his appeal is rejected, he could still be executed in the near future,” UN experts said in a statement Reuters, Tuesday (9/11/2021).

Independent UN experts called on Singapore, which has some of the world’s toughest drug laws, to commute Nagaenthran’s death sentence, in line with international human rights law.

Also read: Singapore Prepares to Hang Malaysian Man With Mental Disabilities

Nagaenthran was arrested in April 2009 for trafficking about 42.72 grams of diamorphine, or pure heroin, strapped to his thigh.

His lawyer M Ravi, and activists say his intelligence is at a level recognized as a mental disability, and he has other disorders that affect his decision-making and impulse control.

Authorities previously said a Singapore court believed Nagaenthran knew what he was doing.

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