Singapore is known for its stringent anti-drug laws and the city-state does not think the lockdown is any excuse for anyone to break the rules. According to a Reuters report, a man has been sentenced to death via a Zoom video call for participating in a drug deal.?
This is the first time that capital punishment has been granted in Singapore remotely.?The man in question, Punithan Genasan, was involved in a 2011 heroin transaction and was sentenced on Friday.??
A spokesperson for Singapore's Supreme Court told Reuters, "For the safety of all involved in the proceedings, the hearing for Public Prosecutor v Punithan A/L Genasan was conducted by video-conferencing".
Genasan's lawyer, Peter Fernando, said his client received the judge's verdict on a Zoom call and is considering an appeal.
Rights groups are opposing the decision to deliver the news of capital punishment with the use of Zoom. However, Fernando added that he does not object to the same as it was the only way to receive the judge's verdict.?
While important and essential cases are being held remotely, many other court hearings have been put on hold during the lockdown period which began in early April and is due to run until June 1.?
With its zero-tolerance policy towards illegal drugs, Singapore has hanged hundreds of people. Over the past decades, even foreigners have been sentenced to death for narcotics offenses.?
Deputy director of Human Rights Watch's Asia division, Phil Robertson said, "Singapore's use of the death penalty is inherently cruel and inhumane, and the use of remote technology like Zoom to sentence a man to death makes it even more so."