The appeal hearing of Pannir Selvam Pranthaman has been set for May 7. He received an eleventh-hour stay of execution on February 19, after the Court of Appeal granted his request to file an application for a review of his case. Should his appeal be rejected, Pannir Selvam Pranthaman could be at imminent risk of execution for the third time. A Malaysian national, he was convicted in 2017 of importing 51.84g of diamorphine (heroin) into Singapore. The trial judge found that he had only transported the drugs but sentenced him to the mandatory death penalty as the prosecution did not issue a certificate of substantive assistance. Executions in Singapore have continued at an alarming rate, with 12 men hanged since October 2024. We call on the government of Singapore to commute the death sentence of Pannir Selvam Pranthaman and immediately establish an official moratorium on all executions as a first critical step towards abolition of the death penalty.
PLEASE TAKE ACTION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE UNTIL: June 30, 2025
Dear Prime Minister,
I urge you to immediately intervene to commute the death sentence imposed on Pannir Selvam Pranthaman. The death penalty in his case was imposed in violation of international human rights law and standards, which would render his execution unlawful and arbitrary.
International law and standards set out restrictions on the use of the death penalty to protect against the arbitrary deprivation of life. These include the prohibition against imposing this punishment as a mandatory sentence; for offenses that do not meet the threshold of the “most serious crimes”, including drug-related offenses; and after proceedings that do not meet the highest standards for a fair trial. Violations of all these safeguards are present in this case.
I am alarmed at the high rate of executions recorded in Singapore in recent months, with 12 men hanged since the beginning of October 2024. Singapore is one of only four countries known to have carried out executions for drug related offenses in 2024. Punitive drug policies have failed to tackle the use and availability of drugs in the country.
I call on you to immediately intervene to remove the threat of execution and commute the death sentence imposed on Pannir Selvam Pranthaman, as well as establish an official moratorium on all executions, as a first critical step towards full abolition of the death penalty.
Yours sincerely,
[YOUR NAME]
Other Urgent Actions for this Case
- First UA Issued: [107.24 Singapore]
- Second UA Issued: [107.24 Singapore]
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