Punithan Genasan, a 37-year-old Malaysian, has been sentenced to death in Singapore via a Zoom video call. 

Genasan was found guilty on 15 May 2020 for a role in a 2011 heroin transaction, which he denied. The judge rejected his defense and issued the city-state’s first remote death penalty sentence.  Phil Robertson, deputy director of Human Rights Watch's Asia division, responded by describing Singapore’s continued use of capital punishment as "inherently cruel and inhumane” with the use of remote technology making “it even more so.”

Yet, this case is not the first of its kind. On 4 May 2020, for the murder of his employer’s mother, Olalekan Hameed was sentenced via Zoom to death by hanging in Nigeria.  As the spread of coronavirus extends lockdowns globally, trials are increasingly being conducted virtually. As a result, these cases of remotely delivered death sentences are unlikely to be the last.  

AN “ABHORRANT” ATTEMPT AT JUSTICE

Coronavirus cases in Singapore have now surpassed 30,000, making its daily rate of new infections now one of the highest in Asia.Most new infections are originating from the city-state’s 43 purpose-built dormitories for migrant workers, in rooms equipped with bunks for 12 to 20 men.  As authorities try to stem this rate of infection, the majority of criminal proceedings in Singapore have been adjourned with only those cases considered essential being held remotely.

In response to Genasan’s sentence, a spokesperson for Singapore’s Supreme Court said the hearing was conducted by video-conferencing “for the safety of all involved.” Yet, Human Rights Watch has questioned the city-state’s reasoning for choosing to conclude the case through Zoom. Human rights groups have added that the use of the death penalty during a pandemic is particularly “abhorrent.” Genasan’s lawyer has said his client is considering an appeal. 

A DETERRENT IN ANTI-DRUG SINGAPORE

Amnesty International have described this case as an example of Singapore’s continued defiance of international standards.  They report the city-state as one of only four countries known to still execute people for drug-related offences.  Singapore has established a zero-tolerance policy for illegal drugs, in 2013 alone 11 people were executed for drug-related offences. Until recently, drug trafficking there held a mandatory death penalty.

The government claims that executing drug traffickers is their most powerful deterrent. Singaporeans are generally perceived to consider the punishment uncontroversial and the country’s national media is rarely critical of the government.  Yet, high levels of secrecy still surround Singapore’s capital punishment system. The government does not disclose any information relating to clemency petitions and decisions. This is echoed in Nigeria where the last three executions took place in 2016 but it is believed 3,000 people still remain on death row.

In 2019, law reform and rights group Lawyers for Liberty wrote of their fear of an “execution binge” in Singapore as rejections for presidential pardons increased in number. As the pandemic distorts judicial processes globally, it raises the question of whether this “binge” is in fact still to come. 

Rebecca is due to begin the GDL in September, having graduated with a BA in History from Durham University. In the intervening years, she worked at a global asset management firm where, alongside her role, she helped lead their charitable efforts in the UK. Following her legal studies, she hopes to pursue a career at the Bar.

LinkedIn