UN rights chief Turk said drug-related offences not involving loss of life did not meet the ‘most serious crimes’ standard by international law
2-MIN READ2-MIN ListenAgence France-PressePublished: 7:21pm, 22 Apr 2026The United Nations voiced alarm on Wednesday at the number of people being executed in Singapore for drug-related offences, saying it was incompatible with human dignity.UN rights chief Volker Turk said there had been a general shift away from the use of capital punishment in Asia, and Singapore was one of only a few countries imposing the death penalty for drug-related crimes not involving intentional killing.
The death penalty is mandatory in Singapore for drug trafficking above certain quantities, such as 500g (1.1 lb) of cannabis or 15g of heroin.
Turk pleaded in a statement with Singapore – and all other states still carrying out executions – “to impose a moratorium, as a critical step towards full legal abolition of this inhuman practice”.
Turk’s office said that of the 25 executions in Singapore in 2023 and 2024, 24 were reportedly for drug offences.
Last year, of the 17 people executed, 15 were convicted of drug-related crimes.
So far this year, eight people have been executed for such offences.
