Thread by @kixes

THREAD 🧵

As an anti-#deathpenalty activist and someone supporting Nagen’s family at this time, I’d like to respond to this horrific statement from #Singapore’s Ministry of Home Affairs. 👇🏼

https://twitter.com/shibanimahtani/status/1456117623217741826?s=21

Firstly: while the MHA statement rehashes what the courts said about Nagen’s actions being “the working of a criminal mind”, what *isn’t* disputed is that Nagen’s IQ is only 69, he has borderline intellectual functioning, ADHD, and his executive functioning skills are impaired.

Under international standards, these conditions should in and of themselves be enough for Nagen to be spared #deathpenalty. See this report from 2000 by the then-UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions: tind-customer-undl.s3.amazonaws.com/7de8b811-97c8-… This is not new!

If the #Singapore court isn’t satisfied that Nagen’s condition qualifies him to be exempted from capital punishment because of what the Misuse of Drugs Act says, it doesn’t mean that Nagen doesn’t have a disability, it means SG’s laws are out of step with international standards.

This was already noted by @HRInews when they submitted a report on #Singapore to the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2019. You can find the report at: tbinternet.ohchr.org/Treaties/CRPD/…

In any case, there are now new concerns about Nagen’s mental state. His brother, who has been visiting Nagen since Monday, told @Kokilaparvathi that Nagen is extremely disoriented and and doesn’t seem to know what’s going on. He’s been in a single cell for over a decade.

Since MHA’s statement was reported by @TODAYonline, I’ve also been asked by multiple people about the help that the government says they/the Singapore Prison Service have rendered the family. todayonline.com/singapore/drug…

It depends on how you define “help”, I suppose. I think it’s true that the prison has been in touch with the family daily. Note that they say they are explaining and addressing queries. They are not proactively helping to make arrangements, which is what the family needed.

I’ve been working with Nagen’s sister, Sarmila, to fill forms, book flights, find hotel accommodation, submit health declarations, pre-pay for PCR tests, etc. The prison answers questions when we have them, although they are strict about not talking to me, only to Sarmila.

I’ve texted/emailed questions and issues to the prison. Sarmila knows I do this, and has authorised me to make arrangements for the family in Singapore, but all I get from the prison is “Thank you for your email. We will continue to liaise directly with the family.”

I can understand that there are some issues that might be deemed confidential or sensitive that they would prefer to speak directly to the family about. That’s fine; I don’t need them to talk to me as long as things get done. But this policy extends to even petty things… (cont.)

For instance, when Nagen’s brother first arrived in Singapore, I tried to book him a GrabSHN car from Changi Airport to the prison, because I was under the impression he would only be allowed SHN transport. But I couldn’t find a car and he was stuck at the pick-up point waiting.

I re-read the letter from the prison and realised it wasn’t as clear about transport as I’d thought. I WhatsApped the prison officer to ask if I could get a regular car. I didn’t get a response, but Sarmila called me shortly after to say, “The prison says can book any car.”

So yes, I’d say that the prison is rendering assistance in the form of answering questions, or smoothing over things that we haven’t been able to deal with ourselves. But the family needed much more than that: they needed someone who could *proactively* help with arrangements.

For instance, I’m not sure what the family was supposed to do if they weren’t able to find someone with an NRIC or FIN who could fill the entry approval forms for them. The letter the prison sent only mentioned informing them *after* the forms had been submitted.

I guess the biggest form of help that the prison has given is expediting the entry approval so the family can enter Singapore ASAP. But I’d argue that, since they’re the ones who want to carry out the execution so soon, that’s really the bare minimum they should be doing.

On the financial burden: MHA’s comment that it’s the same cost that “anyone who wishes to enter #Singapore… would have to bear” is stunningly cruel. Nagen’s family aren’t tourists wanting to splurge on a holiday. They’re forced to come ‘cos Singapore wants to execute Nagen.

So far, the cost of flights + SHN hotel + travel insurance + pre-paying PCR tests + expenses for transport and food have come up to about S$7,000. That converts to about RM 21,000 — this is not something that the family could have afforded so suddenly.

I’m not writing this to seek credit. I was really infuriated to see MHA’s statement. This entire thing is cruel and inhumane from start to finish. Daily phone calls from the prison don’t fix this. Singapore’s #deathpenalty regime is out of step with intl human rights standards.