Singapore/Malasia: The imminent execution of Pannir Selvam Pranthaman must be arrested

February 18, 2025

Amnesty International Malaysia is very alarmed by the programming of the execution of Pannir Selvam Pranthaman de Malaysia in Singapore on Thursday, February 20.

The violations of the protections of the human rights observed in their case would make the execution arbitrary and illegal according to international law and standards. We join your family and many others when you urge Singapore authorities to immediately stop the plans to carry out the execution; and the Malaysian government to do everything possible to intervene and help save the life of Pannir Selvam Pranthaman.

Chiara Sangiorgio, an expert in Amnesty International Death Penalty, said: “The alarming rhythm of executions carried out in Singapore since October shows a chilling determination by the government to pursue the suspensions. This includes for crimes, such as transporting drugs in the case of Pannir, which should not be punished for death under international restrictions on the use of the death penalty. This is more than reproachable and leaves Singapore among a handful of countries that are known to have executed for crimes related to drugs in recent years.

“We urge the Singapore government to immediately end its illegal resource to the death penalty and immediately establish a moratorium in all executions as a first critical step towards abolition.

“We urge the Singapore government to immediately end its illegal resort to the death penalty and immediately establish a moratorium in all executions as a first critical step towards abolition.”

Chiara Sangiorgio, an expert in Amnesty International’s death penalty

“We also urge the international community to enter the pressure on the Singapore government and help prevent another illegal execution from taking place. There is still time to change course and prevent this cruel and meaningless execution from happening. ”

Pannir Selvam Pranthaman was convicted for importing Singapore 51.84 g of diamorphine (heroin) and was sentenced to the mandatory death penalty in 2017. The judge discovered that it was a “messenger”, involved only with the transport of the prohibited substance.

While under the death sentence in Singapore, Pannir has shown great resistance and has channeled its energy to creativity, writing sincere songs and poems that speak of the anguish, hope and prayers of those in the corridor of death, Many of which have been shared with the public through the NGO of Sebaran Kasih founded by his sister, Angelia Pranthaman.

Use of the illegal and arbitrary death penalty according to international law and standards

While we oppose the death penalty unconditionally and, in all cases, we are deeply concerned that the numerous violations of the safeguards of human rights present in the case of Pannir make their execution arbitrary and illegal under the rights and rights and rights and International Human Rights Standards. He was sentenced to death for drug -related crimes, which do not comply with the threshold of the “most serious crimes” to which the use of this punishment must be restricted according to the law and international standards of human rights. The death penalty was also imposed as a mandatory sentence, contrary to the law and international standards, which meant that the judge could not take into account the circumstances of the crime or his background.

Due to a unique feature in the Singapore system, it was discovered that it was a “messenger”, but as the Prosecutor’s Office did not provide a substantial assistance certificate, the judge had no choice but to impose the mandatory sentence to hang. This process violates the right to a fair trial, since he imposed the decision between a life or death sentence in the hands of the Prosecutor’s Office, which is not a neutral part in the trial and should not have such powers, and as it is broken by the clear separation that must exist between prosecution and court.

In addition, the conviction was reached with a legal presumption of drug knowledge under the law of misuse of drugs. When these legal presumptions are invoked, the burden of evidence is transferred to the accused to be refuted to the highest legal standard of “on a balance of probabilities.” The legal assumptions of guilt violate the right to be innocent, a peremptory norm of customary international law, and other guarantees of just judgment under the International Law of Human Rights that require that the burden of proven position is based on prosecution.

Urgent need for Malaysia interventions to stop execution

As we are gathered in Parliament today to highlight the case of Pannir, we reflect on the many defects and arbitrariness of the death penalty, as well as the heaviest burden it raises in those of disadvantaged environments. These arguments echoes those who dominated the debates about the repeal of the mandatory death penalty in this same building only two years ago and caused a process that has transformed the use of the death penalty in our country. We must take advantage of this progress to advocate the use of this cruel punishment everywhere: the death penalty does not make us safer.

As current president of ASEAN and a neighboring country with strong ties with Singapore, the Malaysian government must intervene urgently in the case of Pannir. With effectly just over two days before execution, the government should not avoid any effort to prevent this illegal and arbitrary execution from being carried out, as a first critical step.

Amnesty International has been gathering worldwide appeals on behalf of Pannir Selvam. In the last four months, Amnesty International Malaysia has raised more than 1000 requests signed by civil society and members of the public who ask the Malaysian government to intervene urgently to ensure the switching of the death sentence of Pannir Selvam.

Incessant search for executions

Between October 1, 2024 and February 7, 2025, the Singapore authorities carried out nine executions, including eight of the people convicted of drug trafficking. Singapore is one of the only five countries where Amnesty International confirmed drug -related executions in 2023.

As of today, 113 countries have abolished the death penalty for all crimes and 144 are abolitionists in law or practice. We renew our appeal to the Singapore authorities to immediately stop the execution of Pannir and establish a moratorium in all executions, such as the first critical steps towards the total abolition of the death penalty.