SINGAPORE, Nov 29, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - Singapore hanged a 35-year-old
Singaporean-Iranian man for drug trafficking on Friday, its fourth in less
than a month, despite appeals from Tehran to "reconsider" his execution.

The United Nations and rights groups say capital punishment has no proven
deterrent effect and have called for it to be abolished, but Singaporean
officials insist it has helped make the country one of Asia's safest.

Masoud Rahimi Mehrzad, a Singaporean citizen born in the city-state to a
Singaporean mother and an Iranian father, was convicted in 2013 for drug
trafficking.

Appeals against his conviction and sentence, as well as petitions for
clemency from the president, had been dismissed. After he was informed of his
impending hanging, Masoud filed an 11th-hour appeal to stay his execution,
which was dismissed by the Court of Appeal on Thursday.

Calling him "an Iranian citizen", Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi also
appealed to his Singaporean counterpart Vivian Balakrishnan on Thursday to
halt the execution.

"Araghchi expressed Iran's respect for Singapore's legal framework but
appealed to Singaporean authorities to reconsider the execution of Masoud
Rahimi, emphasizing humanitarian considerations," Iran's foreign ministry
said on X.

However, Singapore's Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) announced "the capital
sentence of death imposed on Masoud Rahimi bin Mehrzad... was carried out on
29 November 2024".

"Masoud... was convicted of having in his possession for the purpose of
trafficking, not less than 31.14 grams (1.1 ounces) of diamorphine, or pure
heroin," CNB said.

Under the country's tough drug laws, the death penalty applies for any amount
above a 15-gram threshold for heroin.

It added that "capital punishment is imposed only for the most serious
crimes, such as the trafficking of significant quantities of drugs which
cause very serious harm".

His execution was the fourth in three weeks in Singapore.

Rosman Abdullah, 55, was hanged on November 22 and two men -- a 39-year-old
Malaysian and a 53-year-old Singaporean -- were hanged on November 15 all for
drug offences.

So far this year, there have been nine executions by the Singaporean
government -- eight for drug trafficking and one for murder.

According to an AFP tally, Singapore has hanged 25 people since it resumed
carrying out the death penalty in March 2022 after a two-year halt during the
Covid-19 pandemic.

The UN this month reiterated its call on Singapore to review its position on
capital punishment.