Joint Local Statement following executions in Singapore on 21 and 22 May 2026

Following the execution on 21 May 2026 of a 32-year-old Singaporean citizen, and on 22 May of a 53-year-old Singaporean citizen, the EU Delegation and the diplomatic missions of the EU Member States, Norway, Switzerland and the United Kingdom reiterate our strong opposition to the use of capital punishment in all cases and in all circumstances.

This brings the number of executions carried out in Singapore this year to twelve.

The death penalty is incompatible with the inalienable right to life and the absolute prohibition of cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment.

International human rights law restricts the use of capital punishment to the most serious crimes, understood as crimes of extreme gravity involving intentional killing. 

Resorting to the death penalty to prevent drug production and trafficking does not meet this threshold. There is no conclusive evidence that the death penalty contributes to curbing or preventing drug trafficking more than other types of punishment.

Furthermore, it is a definitive punishment that makes possible miscarriages of justice irreversible.

We will continue to work for the abolition of the death penalty in the few countries that still apply it. 

Therefore, we call for Singapore to adopt a moratorium on all executions as a first step towards its full abolition, in line with the trend in the Southeast Asian region and worldwide.