Singapore’s apex
court dismissed a psychologically-disabled man’s last-ditch appeal against his
death sentence on Tuesday, reports AFP. Nagaenthran K Dharmalingan, an
Indian-origin Malaysian man, was arrested in 2009 for possession of heroin. He
was handed a death sentence the following year. Singapore has some of the world’s
toughest drug laws.

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Dharmalingan was
first scheduled to be hanged in November. However, the plan floundered due to
international outcry over the execution of an intellectually-disabled person.
British billionaire Richard Branson as well as the European Union had condemned
the city-state’s move.

He later filed a
final appeal before the country’s apex court with his lawyers arguing that imposing
the capital punishment on a person who was psychologically-disabled was against
international law.

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However, Singapore’s
Court of Appeal rejected the challenge saying domestic law takes precedence
over international law and the petitioner’s challenge had no factual or legal
basis.

Singapore Chief
Justice Sundaresh Menon said Nagaenthran had been “afforded due process” and
his defence had put “nothing forward to suggest that he has a case.” The top
court judge further said that Nagaenthran’s lawyers were fighting “hopeless
petitions” after several appeals were rejected.

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Throughout the
proceedings, Nagaenthran, dressed in purple prison outfit, wore a sombre look.
His sister, who spoke to AFP after the court had made its judgement, said the
family was devastated. “We are shocked by the court decision despite my brother…having
a low IQ,” she said adding that his long-running case has been a “horrifying
ordeal” for the family.

According to
Amnesty International, Singapore is among only 30 countries in the world where
drug-related offences are punishable by death. While there have been no
executions in Singapore since 2019, the city-state administration has been doubling
down on drug offences of late. A court rejected appeals my three other men for
commutation of their death sentences. Criticism from the United Nations failed
to make Singapore reconsider.