The spokesman said Tangaraju was convicted in 2017 of “abetment by involvement in a traffic conspiracy” of 1,017.9 grams (35.9 oz) of cannabis, which is twice the minimum amount required for the death penalty in Singapore.
He was sentenced to death in 2018, with the Court of Appeal later upholding the verdict, but rights groups have claimed there were many problems with the case.
Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said the evidence was “far from clear-cut – because he had never actually touched marijuana, was interrogated by police without a lawyer, and when he spoke to a Tamil interpreter”. When asked for, they were refused.”
He said the executions “raise serious concerns that Singapore is launching a renewed spree to vacate its death row convicts in a misguided attempt at deterrence.”
Amnesty International’s deputy regional director Ming Yu Ha said the case had “many flaws” and that the executions showed the “staggering failure of Singapore’s dogged embrace of the death penalty”.