Singapore — An appeal from Nagaenthran K. Dharmalingam, a convicted Malaysian drug trafficker facing execution in Singapore, was adjourned on Monday (Jan 25).
Ms Violet Netto, Nagaenthran’s new lawyer, applied for the adjournment, The Straits Times reported.
Nagaenthran, 33, filed an appeal against a decision from the High Court that refused him permission to begin judicial review proceedings to challenge his execution. At the same time, he also asked that the court exercise its power for a psychiatric assessment on him to be carried out.
The appeal had been originally been scheduled for Monday (Jan 24), and there is no date set yet for the hearing.
Nagaenthran’s case landed in the international spotlight last year, and he had originally been scheduled to hang on Nov 10. But his execution was delayed when he tested positive for Covid-19 on Nov 8.
He has been on death row for 11 years.
Nagaenthran is said to have an IQ of 69 and to suffer from intellectual disability.
He was arrested for drug trafficking when he was 21, and sentenced to death for importing 42.72g of heroin into Singapore. At his trial, he claimed he had been coerced by a man who assaulted him and threatened to kill his girlfriend.
Appeals for a stay of execution for Nagaenthran have come from many quarters, including Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, rapporteurs from the United Nations and even celebrities such as British business magnate Richard Branson.
Malaysia’s state news agency Bernama reported on Nov 7 that the Malaysian PM wrote to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong requesting clemency for Nagaenthran.
Calls to spare his life have been renewed lately, with even British comedian Stephen Fry appealing to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and President Halimah Yacob for a stay of execution last Thursday (Jan 20).
Nagaenthran Dharmalingam faces imminent execution in Singapore despite his intellectual disability. Heartbreakingly, he doesn't fully understand he c'd be killed – thinks he's going home. Please @leehsienloong & President Halimah, spare this vulnerable man's life #SaveNagaenthran pic.twitter.com/O8156b1szr
— Stephen Fry (@stephenfry) January 20, 2022
In the following, human rights group Amnesty International urged people to sign a petition asking Madam Halimah to commute his death sentence.
The petition quotes Nagaenthran’s sister, Sarmila, as saying, “when I woke up in the morning, I couldn’t stop thinking about him and crying… Our family has been struggling since we received notice of his scheduled execution.”
On Jan 18, the Transformative Justice Collective released a statement asking the government to “Pay Heed to People’s Voice on Nagen’s Clemency.”
“It would be a huge step backwards for our society and our political culture if the government ignored the clear and persistent pleas that Singaporeans have made to spare Nagaenthran’s life, and went ahead to execute him. We understand that many others on death row are also facing impending execution in the coming months. We urge the Cabinet to advise President Halimah Yacob to grant Nagaenthran clemency and facilitate evidence-based, progressive policy reviews that engage the public in free and informed discussions around drug policies and the death penalty,” the group wrote.
/TISG
Read also: Malaysian King appealed to President Halimah Yacob for clemency in Nagaenthran’s case
Malaysian King appealed to President Halimah Yacob for clemency in Nagaenthran’s case