Criticized 'Inhumane' By The European Union-Amnesty Over The Death Penalty For Drug Dealers, Singapore Is Ignorant

JAKARTA - Singaporean authorities have defended its decision to execute Malaysian drug smugglers in response to international criticism of the city-state's imposition of the death penalty.

Nagaenthran Dharmalingam, 34, was sentenced to death for smuggling at least 42 grams of heroin into Singapore, one of the countries with the world's toughest narcotics laws.

He was sentenced to hang on Wednesday morning, after several appeals and his clemency application – citing intellectual disability – was rejected.

His lawyers and activists have previously said that Nagaenthran has an IQ of 69, a score that qualifies as an intellectual disability.

But Singapore's Central Narcotics Bureau said Nagaenthran's actions were "a deliberate, purposeful and calculated decision." The authorities confirmed the court's findings that "he knew what he was doing".

The attorney general's office said in a separate statement that Nagaenthran was given a fair trial and had "earned his right of appeal and almost every other means according to the law for about 11 years".

The case attracted international attention. A group of UN experts and British billionaire Richard Branson have joined human rights activists to urge Singapore to replace its death sentence.

The European Union and Amnesty International called the sentence "inhumane" and urged Singapore to impose a moratorium on executions.

The Singapore government says the death penalty is a deterrent to drug smuggling and a large part of the population supports the sentence.