Asia Press Agency

Tag: Death penalty

  • The ongoing debate over death penalty

    The ongoing debate over death penalty

    The Death Penalty 

    The death penalty, also known as capital punishment, is a legal process in which a person is sentenced to death by the state as a punishment for a crime they have committed. The use of the death penalty is highly controversial, with many people arguing that it is a cruel and inhumane form of punishment.

     

    Arguments in Favor of the Death Penalty

    One of the main arguments in favor of the death penalty is that it serves as a deterrent to crime. Supporters of the death penalty argue that knowing that they could face the death penalty for their crimes will deter potential criminals from committing those crimes. Another argument in favor of the death penalty is that it provides closure for victims’ families. Supporters argue that the death penalty provides a sense of justice and closure for the families of victims.

     

    Arguments Against the Death Penalty

    One of the main arguments against the death penalty is that it is an inhumane form of punishment. Opponents of the death penalty argue that it is cruel and that there is no evidence to suggest that it serves as a deterrent to crime. Another argument against the death penalty is that it is often applied unfairly. Opponents argue that the death penalty is disproportionately applied to people of color and people from low-income backgrounds.

     

    The Death Penalty Around the World

    The use of the death penalty varies widely around the world. Some countries, such as the United States, still use the death penalty, while others have abolished it. In 2020, 18 countries carried out executions, with China accounting for the majority of those executions. In the United States, the use of the death penalty has been declining in recent years, with many states abolishing the death penalty or placing moratoriums on its use.

     

    The Future of the Death Penalty

    The future of the death penalty is uncertain. While some states and countries are moving away from the use of the death penalty, others are still using it as a form of punishment. As the debate over the death penalty continues, it’s likely that we will see more changes to the way the death penalty is used around the world.

     

    Important points of debate over death penalty

    – The use of the death penalty is declining in the United States, with many states abolishing it or placing moratoriums on its use.

     

    – Many people argue that the death penalty is applied unfairly, with people of color and people from low-income backgrounds being disproportionately sentenced to death.

     

    – Other countries, such as China, still use the death penalty, with a large number of executions taking place there each year.

     

    – There is ongoing debate about the effectiveness of the death penalty as a deterrent to crime, with many experts arguing that there is no evidence to support this claim.

     

    – The use of the death penalty is often influenced by political factors, with politicians using it as a way to appear tough on crime.

     

    – There are many alternative forms of punishment that could be used instead of the death penalty, such as life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.

  • Death Penalty to Woman in Singapore after 20 Years

    Death Penalty to Woman in Singapore after 20 Years

    According to a report by AFP, Singapore is preparing to carry out its first death penalty of a woman in almost two decades. The country is scheduled to hang two drug convicts this week, with rights groups calling for a halt to the executions.

     

    Transformative Justice Collective (TJC), a local rights organization, revealed that a 56-year-old man convicted of trafficking 50 grams of heroin is set to be executed on Wednesday at Changi Prison. Following that, Saridewi Djamani, a 45-year-old woman, is slated to be hanged on Friday. She was sentenced to death penalty in 2018 for trafficking around 30 grams of heroin. If the execution proceeds as planned, she would be the first woman to be executed in Singapore since 2004, when 36-year-old hairdresser Yen May Woen was hanged for drug trafficking.

     

    Amnesty International, a rights watchdog, has called on Singapore to stop the impending executions, condemning the continued pursuit of death penalties in the name of drug control. They argue that there is no evidence to support the notion that the death penalty acts as a unique deterrent or has any impact on drug use and availability. While other countries move away from capital punishment and adopt drug policy reform, Singapore remains firm in its insistence on the death penalty as an effective crime deterrent.

     

    TJC has revealed that the two prisoners facing execution are Singaporean, and their families have been informed of the scheduled dates.

     

    Singapore maintains strict anti-drug laws, with the death penalty applicable for certain drug-related crimes, including trafficking more than 500 grams of cannabis and 15 grams of heroin.

     

    Since the government resumed executions after a two-year hiatus during the Covid-19 pandemic, at least 13 people have been hanged in the country. The impending execution of the woman marks a significant event, drawing attention to the country’s approach to the death penalty and drug control.