Singapore delays appeal hearing on disabled man's execution

SINGAPORE — Singapore’s apical tribunal connected Tuesday postponed the entreaty proceeding for a Malaysian antheral connected decease enactment believed to beryllium mentally disabled, aft helium was diagnosed with COVID-19, successful a lawsuit that has drawn planetary attention.

Nagaenthran K. Dharmalingam, 33, was scheduled to beryllium executed by hanging connected Wednesday for trying to smuggle a tiny magnitude of heroin into the state — little than 43 grams (1.5 ounces).

The Malaysian nationalist was sentenced to decease successful November 2010, nether Singapore’s strict anti-drug laws. Previous attempts to trim his condemnation to beingness successful situation oregon person a statesmanlike pardon person each failed, contempt pleas from the planetary assemblage and rights groups.

The Court of Appeal’s Judge Andrew Phang said Nagaenthran had tested affirmative for COVID-19, aft the suspect had been brought into dock but past abruptly taken distant again.

The tribunal dismissed a prosecutor’s proposition to person Nagaenthran attest via video.

“We person to contented a enactment of the execution until each proceedings are concluded. That is the due bid of things,” Phang said.

The enactment connected the execution followed a tribunal ruling connected Monday that had already granted a akin order, pending the effect of the entreaty astatine Singapore’s highest court.

Nagaenthran’s defence lawyer, M. Ravi, has based his entreaty connected the statement that executing a mentally disabled idiosyncratic is simply a usurpation of Singapore’s Constitution.

Death punishment opponents accidental Nagaenthran’s IQ of 69 was disclosed during an earlier little tribunal hearing, a level that is internationally recognized arsenic an intelligence disability.

But the tribunal ruled that Nagaenthran knew what helium was doing and upheld the decease sentence.

Members of the planetary community, representatives of the European Union, rights groups and planetary figures specified arsenic British concern magnate Richard Branson person called for Nagaenthran’s beingness to beryllium spared, and utilized the lawsuit to gully attraction toward anti-death punishment advocacy.

Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob besides reportedly asked for leniency “purely connected humanitarian grounds” successful a missive addressed to Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, dated Nov. 3.

Anyone recovered with implicit 15 grams (0.5 ounces) of heroin faces the decease condemnation successful Singapore, though judges tin trim this to beingness successful situation astatine their discretion.

The past execution successful Singapore was successful 2019.