We are greatly concerned by the news that the Government of Singapore has issued at least four execution notices since 12 April 2024, all cases in relation to drug offending. Transformative Justice Collective, a member of the Anti-Death Penalty Asia Network, reports that in two of these four cases, the execution was stayed at the last minute. This leaves two people on death row at imminent risk of execution. The mental anguish persons on death row and their families experience in circumstances where execution warrants are issued is unimaginable.

Of particular concern is that it appears that all of these individuals have had execution warrants issued whilst being party to a pending Court application. The lack of transparency in relation to the use of the death penalty in Singapore, also means that it is unclear what procedural steps took place which led to the execution warrants being issued, and continuing to be issued, whilst a Court proceeding is on foot.

Safeguard no.8 of the UN Safeguards guaranteeing protection of the rights of those facing the death penalty, adopted by two UN bodies in 1984 without a vote, states that “[c]apital punishment shall not be carried out pending any appeal or other recourse procedure or other proceeding relating to pardon or commutation of the sentence”.1In the narrow circumstances in which the death penalty may be imposed under international law – which do not include drug trafficking – the criminal justice system should allow a robust testing of the individuals’ right of review up and until, the gallows.

If the reports that Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) have sought to expedite the hearings of the Court application on foot are correct, the decision-making process behind AGC’s position ought to be transparent, given the seriousness of the nature of these proceedings. Expediting cases through the judicial process undermines the ability to properly prepare and run a case, especially when the penalty is death. We therefore appeal to the AGC to ensure that the fair trial rights of all persons on death row are upheld.

In December 2022, 125 countries voted for a resolution on a moratorium on the use of the death penalty at the United Nations General Assembly. We reiterate that the notion of national sovereignty cannot be used to undermine or negate the State’s obligation to protect the right to life. Death sentences that violate international fair trial standards are a violation of the right to life. Despite international law clearly restricting the death penalty to the ‘most serious crimes’ understood as intentional killing2, Singapore remains one of only a handful of countries that continue to execute individuals for drug offences. We join the call of the Transformative Justice Collective that the State of Singapore must halt these executions and declare a moratorium on its use of capital punishment as first steps.

Signed: 

1. Amnesty International 
2. Anti-Death Penalty Asia Network 
3. Capital Punishment Justice Project 
4. Coalition Against the Death Penalty 
5. ECPM (Together against the death penalty) 
6. Eleos Justice, Monash University 
7. Harm Reduction International 
8. Lembaga Bantuan Hukum Masyarakat (Community Legal Aid Institute) 9. MADPET (Malaysians Against Death Penalty and Torture) 
9. Odhikar 
10. Redemption Pakistan 
11. Reprieve 
12. Taiwan Alliance to End the Death Penalty 
13. The Advocates for Human Rights 
14. Think Centre 
15. Transformative Justice Collective 
16. World Coalition Against the Death Penalty 

Dated: 30 April 2024 

1 Adopted without a vote by the UN Economic and Social Council in its resolution 1984/50 of 25 May 1984; and endorsed by the UN General Assembly, without a vote, in resolution 39/118 of 14 December 1984.

2 General Comment No. 36 (2018) on Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, on the Right to Life, paragraph 39, p13

The undersigned organizations express their grave concern for the lives of minor  defendants particularly the two young men, Yousif Al-Manasif and Ali Al-Mubaiouq, who  are at imminent risk of execution in Saudi Arabia following confirmed information that  the Specialized Criminal Court of Appeal (SCCA) has upheld their death sentences.  Their cases were therefore referred to the Supreme Court which will render a final  judgment. Approximately a year ago, the Supreme Court upheld final death sentences  against Ali al-Subaiti. In addition, final death sentences had been approved by the  Supreme Court about a year ago for both Abdullah Al-Derazi and Jalal Al-Labad. The  Supreme Court is considered the final judicial stage before execution, which occurs  after the king’s signature. 

Considering Saudi Arabia’s past practices, it is difficult to predict the exact time frame  between case referral to the Supreme Court, its approval, and execution. Previous  cases indicate that the lives of the minors sentenced by “discretionary punishment” (taazir), are at imminent risk of execution.  

As it is expected that there will be cases of minors that have not been identified, with the  latest developments, the situation of minors who have been monitored by organizations  to have received death sentences: 

• Jalal Al-Labad and Abdullah Al-Derazi: The sentence has been approved by the  Supreme Court and execution can occur at any moment after the king’s  signature. 
• Yousif Al-Manasif and Ali Al-Mubaiouq, Ali Al-Subaiti: The sentence is currently  before the Supreme Court. 
• Jawad Qureiris: The sentence is before the specialized criminal appellate court. ● Mahdi Al-Mohsen: A preliminary sentence from the specialized criminal court.

The Saudi Arabia authorities subjected the young men to human rights violations while  in detention, including enforced disappearance, solitary confinement for months, and  various forms of torture. The risk of execution is exacerbated by the fact that the  judiciary in Saudi Arabia is not independent and is thereby unable to protect individuals  against arbitrary death sentences. Individuals who are charged for acts related to their  peaceful activism, are usually sentenced on the basis of the Counterterrorism law and  torture-trainted confessions are used as sole evidence for their conviction.  

The undersigned organizations point out that the approval of new death sentences  against individuals who are sentenced for acts committed as minors, contradicts Saudi  Arabia’s narrative that it has halted juvenile death sentences. For instance, in a  statement announcing the promulgation of Royal Decree No. 46274, the Saudi Human  Rights Commission mentioned that the death penalty against such individuals and  against minors would be annulled. Saudi Arabia has reiterated this announcement on  multiple occasions before the Human Rights Council and in other international human  rights foras.This potential executions would entail a flagrant violation of Saudi Arabia’s international obligations, given that Saudi Arabia is a state party to the Convention on  the Rights of the Child, which clearly prohibits the death penalty against minors. 

Despite this announcement, Saudi Arabia executed the minor Mustafa Al-Darwish in  June 2021 and continued issuing and approving similar death sentences. Instead of  halting executions, the government has resorted to cryptic and unsubstantiated  responses to communications from UN special rapporteurs regarding their cases. 

Since the beginning of 2024, Saudi Arabia has executed 47 individuals. 12 of these  sentences were issued by the Specialized Criminal Court. The Ministry of Interior did  not specify the nature of the sentences issued against them, but they are likely taazir sentences. 

The undersigned organizations believe that the approval of new death sentences  against minors exposes the reality of Saudi Arabia’s successive promises regarding the  death penalty in general and the death penalty against minors in particular. It is  impossible to envisage reforms or changes without immediately halting arbitrary death  sentences, especially against minors on charges that are not considered the most  serious, and after unfair trials.

Undersigned organizations;  

1. ACAT-Belgium (Action by Christians for the Abolition of Torture)