Amnesty International called on Singaporean authorities to establish a moratorium on all executions on Wednesday. The statement comes ahead of the scheduled execution of a man with disabilities for drug trafficking, which the organization claims violates international law and standards.

Rosman bin Abdullah was found guilty of trafficking 57.43g of heroin and is scheduled to be executed on November 22, 2024, after his previous execution date in February was stayed. Abdullah’s execution has drawn extensive international attention and criticism, including from the UN Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner (OHCHR) which called for a halt to his execution. The office drew attention to the man’s record of psychosocial disabilities and history of drug dependence. It further noted a lack of procedural accommodations or individualized assistance to support him with his disabilities during his interrogation and trial.

Under Singapore’s Misuse of Drugs Act, trafficking diamorphine (heroin) in quantities over 15 grams is subject to a mandatory death penalty. Amnesty International and the OHCHR have criticized Singapore’s use of the death penalty in drug trafficking cases, which the organizations say is illegal under international law. The organizations maintain that the use of the death penalty must be restricted to the “most serious crimes.” UN experts also claimed that there is a lack of persuasive evidence showing that capital punishment is more effective than other punishments to curb or prevent drug trafficking.

The UN experts, which include the Special Rapporteurs on mental health and human rights, have raised concerns about Abdullah’s case alongside that of several other defendants where mental health or intellectual disabilities had been a concern in a 2022 letter to the Singaporean government. The experts emphasized that “mandatory death sentences are inherently overinclusive and unavoidably violate human rights law,” urging Singapore to conduct individualized sentencing “to prevent cruel, inhuman, or degrading punishment and the arbitrary deprivation of life.” The Singaporean government responded to concerns, claiming that the experts were under “misconceptions about the cases,” denying that the defendants suffered from intellectual disabilities or disorders, and reiterating Singapore’s commitment to its international obligations, including safeguarding the right to life.

The right to life is a customary and peremptory norm under international law enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. While the death penalty itself does not violate the right to life, it must be used non-arbitrarily, which requires the state using it to conduct a fair trial and observe at least “minimum standards of protection for vulnerable groups, and equality and consistency.”