Singapore hangs fourth drug trafficker in less than a month

The United Nations and human rights groups say the death penalty has no proven deterrent effect and have called for its abolition, but Singaporean officials insist it has helped make the country one of Asia’s safest.

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

Appeals against his conviction and sentence, as well as presidential clemency requests, had been rejected. After being informed of his impending hanging, Masoud filed an appeal to stay his execution, which was rejected by the Court of Appeal on Thursday.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called him “an Iranian citizen” and also called on his Singaporean counterpart Vivian Balakrishnan on Thursday to halt the execution.

“Araghchi expressed Iran’s respect for Singapore’s legal framework, but appealed to Singapore authorities to reconsider the execution of Masoud Rahimi, emphasizing humanitarian considerations,” Iran’s Foreign Ministry said on X.

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