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In an open letter to Singaporean authorities published today, 27 October 2022, the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) and the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) reiterated that Singapore’s practices concerning the death penalty fail to comply with international human rights law and standards.
The joint open letter was sent to Minister K Shanmugam, Minister for Law and Minister for Home Affairs. It responds to the statements published by Singapore’s Ministry of Law (MinLaw) and Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on 8 September 2022 to the IBAHRI and to the ICJ.
The IBAHRI and ICJ have previously issued statements calling on the Singaporean authorities to establish a moratorium on the use of the death penalty, and to cease using cost sanctions against lawyers representing death-row inmates.
In the open letter, the IBAHRI and ICJ underscored that:
The IBAHRI and ICJ called on Singapore to join the worldwide trajectory towards abolition of the death penalty, starting with an immediate introduction of a moratorium on all sentences and executions with a view to abolition in line with repeated Resolutions of the UN General Assembly calling for such measures.
The IBAHRI and ICJ emphasised that they remain available for constructive dialogue and engagement with all relevant stakeholders, such as representatives of MinLaw and MHA, with the aim of contributing to Singapore aligning its laws, policies, and practices with international human rights law and standards with regards to its use of the death penalty.
The IBAHRI and the ICJ oppose the death penalty under any circumstances as a violation of the right to life and freedom from cruel, inhuman, or degrading punishment.
The joint open letter can be downloaded here.
ENDS
For further information/interview requests, please send an email to: IBAHRI@int-bar.org
Notes to the Editor
Website page link for this news release:
Short link: tinyurl.com/mrhart7f
Full link: www.ibanet.org/Singapore-IBAHRI-and-ICJ-respond-to-Ministry-of-Law-and-Ministry-of-Home-Affairs-on-the-death-penalty-and-cost-sanctions