Singapore to hang first woman in nearly two decades

Singapore: Singapore is scheduled to carry out the hanging first woman after nearly two decades. The execution of two drug convicts will be done this week, according to the Transformative Justice Collective (TJC), a local rights organization. One convict, a 56-year-old man found guilty of trafficking 50 grams of heroin, is set to be executed on Wednesday. The other convict, a 45-year-old woman identified as Saridewi Djamani, is scheduled to be hanged on Friday. If the execution takes place, it will be the first time Singapore has executed a woman since 2004.

Singapore has strict anti-drug laws, with the death penalty imposed for drug-related offenses, including trafficking more than 500 grams of cannabis and 15 grams of heroin. The country has already executed at least 13 people since resuming executions after a two-year hiatus during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Human rights group Amnesty International has called on Singapore to stop the upcoming executions. They argue that the death penalty has no unique deterrent effect and does not impact drug use and availability. Many countries around the world are moving away from the death penalty and embracing drug policy reforms, but Singapore’s authorities continue to pursue executions for drug-related crimes.