Singapore hangs fourth drug trafficker in less than a month

The United Nations and rights groups say the death penalty has no proven deterrent effect and are calling for its abolition; but Singapore officials insist it has helped make the country one of the safest places in Asia.

Singaporean citizen Masoud Rahimi Mehrzad, born in the city state to a Singaporean mother and an Iranian father, was convicted of drug trafficking in 2013.

In addition to the appeals against the conviction and sentence, the president’s petitions for clemency were also rejected. After being informed of his imminent execution, Masoud filed an 11th-hour appeal to stay his execution, but that appeal was rejected by the Court of Appeal on Thursday.

Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi also called on his Singaporean counterpart Vivian Balakrishnan on Thursday to halt the execution, calling him an “Iranian citizen”.

“Araghchi expressed Iran’s respect for Singapore’s legal framework, but emphasized humanitarian considerations and called on Singaporean authorities to reconsider the execution of Masoud Rahimi,” Iran’s foreign ministry said in a statement to X. he said.

However, Singapore’s Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) announced that “the death penalty imposed on Massoud Rahimi bin Mehrzad… was executed on 29 November 2024.”