Indian-Origin Man in Singapore Faces Death Penalty as Cannabis Appeal is Rejected

Indian-Origin Man in Singapore Faces Death Penalty as Cannabis Appeal is Rejected

The High Court of Singapore rejected an appeal by a 38-year-old Indian-origin man on death row for drug trafficking charges on Tuesday. He was found guilty of importing 29.5 kg of cannabis into the city-state in 2016.

Gopu Jaya Raman was sentenced to death in 2019 after being convicted of importing cannabis into Singapore. His appeal against the sentence was dismissed by a three-judge panel of the Singapore High Court.

Raman had claimed that he had been misled by a person named Tony, who had asked him to carry a bag to Singapore, saying it contained musical instruments. The bag was found to contain the drugs upon his arrival at the Changi Airport.

Singapore has strict drug laws, and trafficking a certain amount of illegal substances can result in the death penalty. The country’s government has argued that the strict drug laws have helped to keep drug use rates low.

Human rights organizations and activists have criticized Singapore’s use of the death penalty, particularly for drug trafficking offenses. They argue that the death penalty is a disproportionate and inhumane punishment that does not effectively deter drug use.

This case is likely to spark renewed debate on the use of the death penalty for drug trafficking offenses in Singapore.