Singapore
Death penalty and prisoners' rights · Archive since 1999
Data card
- Legal status
- Retentionist
- Executions recorded in 2026
- 4
- Executions recorded in 2025
- 7
- First news item in the archive
- JANUARY 1, 1999 · Capital crimes are: murder, treason, offenses against...
- News items in the archive
- 349
Source: Hands Off Cain database, updated to 2026.
Singapore is classified as Retentionist in the Hands Off Cain database, updated to 2026. In 2026 the association recorded 4 executions in the country, against 7 the year before. The archive holds 349 news items on Singapore, from 1999 to today.
Latest news
SEPTEMBER 18, 2019SingaporeDEATH PENALTYSINGAPORE: COUPLE UNDER PROBE FOR WEARING ANTI-DEATH PENALTY SHIRTS
A Singaporean couple who wore anti-death penalty t-shirts at a running event are under investigation for violating tough laws against public protests, police said on 18 September 2019.
SEPTEMBER 11, 2019SingaporeDEATH PENALTYSINGAPORE: MAN GETS DEATH PENALTY FOR TRAFFICKING HEROIN
A 59-year-old man was sentenced to death in the High Court after being found in possession of 52.75 g of diamorphine, also known as heroin, for the purpose of drug trafficking.
JUNE 4, 2019SingaporeDEATH PENALTYSINGAPORE: NIGERIAN SPARED DEATH SENTENCE AFTER COURT OF APPEAL ACQUITS HIM OF IMPORTING DRUGS
A Nigerian man facing the gallows for importing drugs into Singapore eight years ago was spared death on 27 May 2019 after the Court of Appeal acquitted him of his capital charge.
- MAY 20, 2019SingaporeDEATH PENALTY
SINGAPOREANS SUPPORT DRUG LAWS, BUT ONLY HALF THE COUNTRY’S YOUNG SAY DEATH PENALTY IS APPROPRIATE
Singapore’s tough anti-drug laws command overwhelming support across the population, but only about half of younger people feel the death penalty is an appropriate punishment for severe drug offences, a government survey has found.
MARCH 27, 2019SingaporeDEATH PENALTYSINGAPORE: MALAYSIAN CONVICTED OF MURDER EXECUTED
A Malaysian convicted of murder in 2015 was executed at Singapore's Changi Prison on 22 March 2019 morning.
JANUARY 30, 2019SingaporeDEATH PENALTYSINGAPORE: MALAYSIAN DRUG TRAFFICKER HANGED
A convicted Malaysian drug trafficker was hanged in Singapore on 25 January 2019, officials said, after the city-state rejected last minute efforts to save him.
- JANUARY 1, 2019SingaporeDEATH PENALTY
Capital crimes are: murder, treason, offences against the President, illegal possession of arms, kidnapping and causing an innocent person to be executed by bearing false witness.
Capital crimes are: murder, treason, offences against the President, illegal possession of arms, kidnapping and causing an innocent person to be executed by bearing false witness.
DECEMBER 7, 2018SingaporeDEATH PENALTYSINGAPORE: 2 MEN CONVICTED OF DRUG TRAFFICKING ESCAPE DEATH ROW AFTER ACQUITTAL BY APEX COURT
Two men convicted of drug trafficking escaped the gallows on 5 December 2018, after the Court of Appeal found them not guilty and acquitted them in a split 2-1 decision.
- OCTOBER 30, 2018SingaporeDEATH PENALTY
SINGAPORE: DRUG COURIER GETS DEATH PENALTY AFTER ESCAPING GALLOWS LAST YEAR
A Malaysian drug courier who escaped the gallows last year after the High Court reduced his charge, was on 25 October 2018 sentenced to the death penalty after the Court of Appeal overturned the earlier decision.
- OCTOBER 29, 2018SingaporeDEATH PENALTY
SINGAPORE: FAMILY’S LAWYER CONFIRMS PRABU HANGED
It has been confirmed that Malaysian citizen Prabu N. Pathmanathan was hanged at Changi prison at dawn on 26 October 2018 for drug trafficking, according to his family’s lawyer N. Surendran.
OCTOBER 12, 2018SingaporeDEATH PENALTYSINGAPORE: 58-YEAR-OLD MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
A Singaporean man who was arrested while trying to buy heroin to sell it to others was sentenced to death on 5 October 2018.
- SEPTEMBER 26, 2018SingaporeDEATH PENALTY
SINGAPORE: WOMAN SENTENCED TO MANDATORY DEATH PENALTY FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
A 40-year-old Singaporean woman on September 20, 2018 was sentenced to the mandatory death penalty after she was caught selling drugs.
MARCH 16, 2018SingaporeDEATH PENALTYSINGAPORE: DRUG TRAFFICKER HANGED AFTER LAST-DITCH BID TO REOPEN CASE FAILS
Convicted Singaporean drug trafficker Hishamrudin Mohd was hanged in the Changi Prison Complex after failing on the preceding day - in a final court bid - to reopen his case.
MARCH 9, 2018SingaporeDEATH PENALTYSINGAPORE: GHANAIAN DRUG TRAFFICKER HANGED AFTER CLEMENCY PLEA REJECTED
Singapore executed a Ghanaian man for drug smuggling, rejecting his plea for clemency.
FEBRUARY 12, 2018SingaporeDEATH PENALTYSINGAPORE: APEX COURT ACQUITS MAN ON DEATH ROW FOR DRUG POSSESSION
In a rare 2-1 decision, the apex court acquitted a man on death row for drug possession.
- JANUARY 1, 2018SingaporeDEATH PENALTY
Capital crimes are: murder, treason, offences against the President, illegal possession of arms, kidnapping and causing an innocent person to be executed by bearing false witness.
Capital crimes are: murder, treason, offences against the President, illegal possession of arms, kidnapping and causing an innocent person to be executed by bearing false witness.
- JULY 14, 2017SingaporeDEATH PENALTY
SINGAPORE HANGS MALAYSIAN DRUG TRAFFICKER
Singapore executed a Malaysian drug trafficker despite a plea for clemency from the United Nations and concerns expressed by rights groups over alleged flaws in his trial.
MAY 19, 2017SingaporeDEATH PENALTYSINGAPORE: DRUG TRAFFICKER HANGED AFTER EXHAUSTING AVENUES OF APPEAL
Singaporean drug trafficker Muhammad Ridzuan Md Ali, 31, was executed at Changi Prison, having exhausted all avenues of appeal.
- MAY 8, 2017SingaporeDEATH PENALTY
A new laws passed in Parliament introduces the mandatory death penalty for those who commit a fatal act of terrorism using radioactive material or nuclear explosive devices.
A new laws passed in Parliament introduces the mandatory death penalty for those who commit a fatal act of terrorism using radioactive material or nuclear explosive devices.
APRIL 21, 2017SingaporeDEATH PENALTYSINGAPORE: MAN HANGED FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
Mohd Jeefrey bin Ismail was hanged in the early hours, at least according to the scheduled execution date given to his family by the Singapore Prison Service.
FEBRUARY 17, 2017SingaporeDEATH PENALTYSINGAPORE: 2 PAKISTANI MEN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDER
Two Pakistani men face the gallows in Singapore after a court found them guilty of murdering a compatriot over a gambling dispute and dismembering the body.
- FEBRUARY 3, 2017SingaporeDEATH PENALTY
SINGAPORE: FORMER POLICEMAN TO HANG AFTER APPEAL DISMISSED
Former policeman Iskandar Rahmat will not be spared the noose for the Kovan double murder in July 2013.
- JANUARY 1, 2017SingaporeDEATH PENALTY
Capital crimes are: murder, treason, offences against the President, illegal possession of arms, kidnapping and causing an innocent person to be executed by bearing false witness.
Capital crimes are: murder, treason, offences against the President, illegal possession of arms, kidnapping and causing an innocent person to be executed by bearing false witness.
- NOVEMBER 21, 2016SingaporeDEATH PENALTY
ICJ: SINGAPORE MUST BE TRANSPARENT IN IMPLEMENTATION OF EXECUTIONS
The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) condemned Singapore’s execution of two people on 18 November.
- NOVEMBER 18, 2016SingaporeDEATH PENALTY
SINGAPORE EXECUTES MALAYSIAN, NIGERIAN FOR TRAFFICKING, AUTHORITIES CONFIRM
Singapore executed two foreigners convicted of drug trafficking, authorities said, a day after the city-state's highest court rejected final bids for both men to escape the gallows.
OCTOBER 6, 2016SingaporeDEATH PENALTYSINGAPORE: 80 PER CENT OF RESIDENTS SUPPORT THE DEATH PENALTY
Government feedback agency Reach released a survey, which found that 80 per cent of Singapore residents
MAY 20, 2016SingaporeDEATH PENALTYSINGAPORE: KHO JABING PUT TO DEATH
Convicted murderer, Kho Jabing had his death sentence executed around 3.30pm at Changi Prison Complex.
- JANUARY 1, 2016SingaporeDEATH PENALTY
Capital crimes are: murder, treason, offences against the President, illegal possession of arms, kidnapping and causing an innocent person to be executed by bearing false witness.
Capital crimes are: murder, treason, offences against the President, illegal possession of arms, kidnapping and causing an innocent person to be executed by bearing false witness.
JUNE 29, 2015SingaporeDEATH PENALTYSINGAPORE: HEROIN TRAFFICKER FAILS IN ATTEMPT TO ESCAPE DEATH PENALTY
Kester Ng Wei Ren, a heroin trafficker who has been on death row for more than four years, failed in his
- APRIL 24, 2015SingaporeDEATH PENALTY
EU URGES SINGAPORE TO STOP EXECUTIONS
The EU called on the Singaporean authorities to stop all pending executions and to reinstate its earlier