Singapore Hangs Man Convicted Of Cannabis Smuggling Despite International Outcry

Despite massive international criticism, Singapore executed a prisoner convicted of conspiring to smuggle 1 kg of cannabis.

What Happened: Tangaraju Suppiah was hanged on Wednesday at Changi prison complex, Singapore Prisons Service told Agence France-Presse.

Suppiah, 46, was sentenced to death in 2018 after a judge found he was the owner of a phone number used to coordinate an attempt to traffic cannabis.

Singapore’s decision to hang Suppiah received massive backlash from the international community who argued that he did not have adequate access to a lawyer or interpreter.

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The United Nations Human Rights Office had called for Singapore to "urgently reconsider" its execution orders.

Why It Matters: Advocates for Suppiah raised multiple issues regarding the handling of his case — including allegations that he was interrogated by the police without legal representation and that he was questioned by the police in English without an interpreter even though he spoke Tamil. 

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British tycoon Richard Branson, a member of the Geneva-based Global Commission on Drug Policy, had urged the city-state to halt Suppiah's execution.

Branson argued that Suppiah was "not anywhere near" the drugs at the time of his arrest and that Singapore may be about to put an innocent man to death. 

Singapore's Home Affairs Ministry criticized Branson's for raising doubts about its judicial decision and said Tangaraju's guilt had been proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

Possession of cannabis is illegal, and the penalties are severe, including imprisonment and caning. Those found guilty of drug trafficking in Singapore can face the death penalty. Singapore’s government has long defended its harsh drug laws, arguing that they have been effective in reducing drug abuse in the country.

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