A mentally disabled Malaysian man was executed in Singapore on Wednesday, his sister said, after a long legal battle and despite a storm of international criticism.
Nagaenthran K. Dharmalingam, convicted of trafficking heroin into the city-state, was put to death in the early hours, his sister Sarmila Dharmalingam told AFP.
“It is unbelievable that Singapore proceeded with the execution despite international appeals to spare his life,” she said, speaking from Malaysia.
“We are extremely saddened by our brother’s execution and the family is in a state of shock.”
Nagaenthran was arrested in 2009 after being caught with a small amount of heroin as he sought to enter Singapore, which has some of the world’s toughest drugs laws. He was sentenced to death the following year.