The United Nations (UN), the European Union (EU), and British billionaire Richard Branson condemned the country. Nagaenthran K Dharmalingam’s family appealed to the courts to consider his case since he is mentally disabled. To no avail, the courts declined all appeals and pushed through with the execution.

Nagaenthran filed legal challenges for more than a decade, but they were denied by Singapore’s courts, and the city-president state refused clemency requests.

His sister, Sarmila Dharmalingam, told AFP that the 34-year-old was executed in the early hours of the morning. “It is unbelievable that Singapore proceeded with the execution despite international appeals to spare his life,” she said, speaking from Malaysia.

She added the family was “extremely saddened” and “in a state of shock”.

Reprieve, a non-governmental organization (NGO) that campaigns against the death penalty, said Nagaenthran was “the victim of a tragic miscarriage of justice”.

“Hanging an intellectually disabled, mentally unwell man… is unjustifiable and a flagrant violation of international laws that Singapore has chosen to sign up to,” said the group’s director Maya Foa.

Nagaenthran was supposed to be hanged in November, but his execution was postponed while he filed an appeal, claiming that hanging someone with mental problems is against international law.

He was apprehended at the age of 21 while attempting to enter Singapore with a bundle of heroin weighing approximately 43 grams (one and a half ounces) — roughly three tablespoons.

Supporters claim he has an IQ of 69, which is considered a handicap, and that he was forced to perform the murder.

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People have drawn attention to his case since he will be executed in the next few days. #savenagaenthran has gained attention from United Nations, Malaysia’s Prime Minister, and British billionaire Richard Branson. They began to put in question the zero drug tolerance laws of the country.

His appeal was on the basis of mental disability and for his lawyers to start judicial review proceedings to halt the death sentence.

“The Court of Appeal has just dismissed the application and considered the appeal an abuse of process and that international law does not apply. Nagaenthran who is mentally disabled is due to be hanged possibly in the next few days,” said M. Ravi, who was part of Dharmalingam’s legal team.

In his ruling, Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon said there was “no admissible evidence showing any decline in the appellant’s mental condition after the commission of the offense.”

“The case mounted by the appellant’s counsel was baseless and without merit, both as a matter of fact and of law,” Menon said, according to court documents.

The court also dismissed a request for Dharmalingam to be assessed by an independent panel of psychiatrists.

After his family was notified of his impending execution in October 2021, Dharmalingam’s lawyers launched a last-minute constitutional challenge. The High Court dismissed their bid in November but granted a stay of execution so the decision could be appealed.

Anti-death penalty group Reprieve said Dharmalingam is facing imminent execution unless he is pardoned by Singapore’s President Halimah Yacob.

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