Amnesty International is calling on Singapore to halt what it describes as an “imminent unlawful execution” under the country’s drug laws, as the city-state prepares to carry out another hanging.
In its 20 November 2024 statement, Amnesty points to the scheduled execution of Rosman bin Abdullah on Friday, 22 November. The organisation frames the case as part of a continuing pattern: Singapore, it says, remains determined to use capital punishment for drug-related offences despite repeated international criticism.
Amnesty’s warning lands in the shadow of recent executions. The statement notes that on 15 November, a 53-year-old Singaporean and a 39-year-old Malaysian were executed after being convicted of possessing controlled drugs with an intent linked to trafficking.
The central argument Amnesty makes is not only about one man, but about the broader principle it says Singapore is violating: that the death penalty should not be used for drug-related crimes under international law and standards. By highlighting the short timeline between the most recent hangings and the next scheduled execution, the organisation underscores what it sees as an accelerating and “chilling” normalisation of executions as a tool of drug policy.
With the execution date set, Amnesty’s message is direct: stop the hanging, and reconsider the ongoing use of the death penalty for drug offences.
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