Singapore, on Wednesday, executed a man convicted of drug trafficking, despite pleas from his family and activists for mercy.
46-year-old Tangaraju Suppiah was sentenced to death on October 9, 2018, for attempting to traffic more than 1 kg of cannabis to Singapore, a crime punishable by the death penalty in the city-state, which is renowned for its strict drug regulations.
The family's rights advocate, Kokila Annamalai, who is located in Singapore, verified that Suppiah had been hanged after the president turned down requests for clemency the night before his execution. This is Singapore's first execution in six months.
The European Union’s office in the city-state and a United Nations’ rights office had called for Singapore not to carry out his hanging, CNN reported.
He was detained in 2014 for drug consumption and failure to report for a drug test.
British billionaire Richard Branson, a well-known opponent of the death penalty, had said the verdict against Suppiah did not meet standards for criminal conviction as he was not near the drugs when he was arrested, Reuters reported. The Singapore government replied to Branson's comments and said, Branson was peddling falsehoods and disrespecting its justice system.
