Singapore executes woman convict for first time in 20 years

SINGAPORE — For the first time in 20 years, Singapore on Friday executed a woman convict who was found guilty of trafficking 30 grams of heroin in 2018.

Singaporean national Saridewi Djamani, 45, is the second drug convict to be executed this week, after fellow Singaporean Mohd Aziz bin Hussain, and the 15th since March 2022, reports the BBC.

Under Singapore’s anti-drug laws, which are some of the world’s toughest, the death penalty is imposed on anyone caught trafficking more than 500 grams of cannabis or 15 grams of heroin.

In a statement, Singapore’s Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) said that Saridewi, who was sentenced to death on July 6, 2018, was accorded “full due process” under the law.

The city’s highest court had dismissed the appeal against her conviction on October 6 last year.

A petition for a presidential pardon was also unsuccessful, according to authorities.

Her execution came just two days after Aziz was hanged on Wednesday, following his conviction of trafficking 50 grams of heroin in 2017.

According to Amnesty International, China, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Singapore are the only four countries to have recently carried out drug-related executions.