Singapore hanging would be ‘tantamount to executing a child’

Legal experts have questioned whether Naga's execution is a breach of international law. The UN's expert rapporteurs point out, "under international law, countries which have retained the death penalty may only impose it for the most serious crimes, that is, those involving intentional killing … Drug related offences do not meet this threshold".

Lawasia's plea to Yacob for clemency points out that Singapore is a signatory state to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Article 15 prohibits "torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment".

It refers to the Law Council of Australia's Policy Statement Against the Death Penalty which states, "the practice of the death penalty, necessarily, constitutes torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment in that it is impossible to avoid torture, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment in the methods of execution and the living conditions of people on death row".

Long-time opponent of the death penalty Sir Richard Branson has not only added his voice to the campaign to stop Naga's execution but, in an extensive post, also seeks to debunk the myth that the death penalty has a deterrent effect on both supply and demand of illicit drugs. "Nothing", he argues, "could be further from truth".

It is a claim supported by anti-death penalty campaigners throughout the world who point out that there is no persuasive evidence that the death penalty, or indeed draconian penalties more broadly, have any impact on drug supply and usage.

Amidst these pleas on Naga's behalf is the man himself. On Monday, The Sydney Morning Herald reported on a draft affidavit given by Naga's brother. It speaks of Naga being "very disorientated". He is "taking three-hour baths" and "talking to him feels like talking to a child who doesn't comprehend much beyond the recent moment".

Naga's family, too, are suffering. CNN reports Naga's older sister, Samilia Dharmalingham as saying the family is "struggling". And, in a more recent cruel twist, she says "we have been told by the prison that we will not be able to visit him anymore, and that we will only be allowed phone calls with him".

When Naga's appeal to Singapore's High Court resumes, it will be his last chance to prevent his hanging by judicial order. If he fails there, only a presidential pardon can spare his life.

If a presidential pardon is not given, Singapore will be carrying out its first execution since 2019. It will be executing an intellectually impaired, psychologically-compromised and disorientated young man. N. Surendran, a lawyer representing Naga, described himas having "no real clue of what is going to happen to him". He adds, with excruciating poignancy: "it would be tantamount to executing a child".