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La vision de PGA est de contribuer à la création d'un ordre international fondé sur le respect des règles pour un monde plus équitable, sûr, durable et démocratique.

PGA condemns the execution of Mr. Nagaenthran Dharmalingam

Friends and family members attended the funeral of Nagaenthran K. Dharmalingam at his home in Tanjung Rambutan, Perak on Friday April 29.
Friends and family members attended the funeral of Nagaenthran K. Dharmalingam at his home in Tanjung Rambutan, Perak on Friday April 29.

The Hague/New York/Kuala Lumpur:

PGA strongly condemns the execution of Mr. Nagaenthran Dharmalingam on 27 April 2022, which testifies to the failure of the Singaporean judicial system and of Malaysian authorities to protect and uphold the most fundamental principles under international human rights law: the right to life and the prohibition of torture and other cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment or punishment. Despite international calls and statements, including by PGA and its President, Hon. Kasthuri Patto, MP (Malaysia), to halt the execution and commute the death sentence to imprisonment, the execution took place in violation of international law.

I am deeply saddened and appalled by the execution of Mr. Nagaenthran by Singaporean authorities. The death penalty has once again been used on a marginalised and underprivileged person with an IQ of 69. Mr Nagaenthran was, after all, only a drug mule. What had befallen him can happen to any one of us - one can sometimes pay dearly with their life being in the wrong place at the wrong time, when being used by wrong people. This case is even more tragic and unacceptable as under international law, the imposition and enforcement of the death penalty on persons with mental disabilities constitutes a violation of the prohibition of torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment. Hon. Kasthuri Patto, MP (Malaysia), PGA’s President

The case demonstrates another reality that the persons with disabilities face in judicial proceedings. Mr. Nagaenthran was not provided with required support and accommodation for his disabilities to facilitate his effective participation in his trial, nor procedural accommodations to ensure a fair trial and due process. As highlighted by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, “the lack of procedural accommodations violates the right to a fair trial and may lead to effective exclusion from proceedings and/or being subjected to unfair sentences.”

The use of capital punishment is not only often associated with the risk with a miscarriage of justice- which leads to irreversible tragic consequences- but it has been also proven to be ineffective to deter crimes. PGA calls on all retentionist States to adopt a moratorium on the use of the death penalty, with a view towards its full abolition. In the meantime, PGA further urges States to remove from national law any death penalty provisions which are in breach of international human rights hard or soft law, such as:

PGA opposes capital punishment in all circumstances. Parliamentarians have a crucial role to play in the movement to restrict the use of the death penalty and ultimately abolish it through drafting legislation, deliberating on national policies, and enlightening public opinion. Find out more about our Campaign on the Abolishment of the Death Penalty.

Dernières Nouvelles : Campagne APM

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Chaque année, le 10 octobre, le mouvement abolitionniste mondial se réunit pour célébrer la Journée mondiale contre la peine de mort. « La peine de mort ne protège personne : abolissons-la maintenant ».

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La peine de mort reste une préoccupation majeure en matière de droits de l'homme. Pour la seule année 2023, Amnesty International a recensé 1 153 exécutions, soit une augmentation de 31 % par rapport à l'année précédente et le chiffre le plus élevé depuis 2015.

Photo by Daniel Gregoire on Unsplash

C'est avec une profonde inquiétude que PGA a pris connaissance ce matin de la communication d'une circulaire du Ministère de la Justice de la République Démocratique du Congo officialisant la décision de lever le moratoire sur la peine de mort dans le pays.

Pour plus d'informations ou pour savoir comment vous pouvez participer à la Campagne pour l'abolition de la peine de mort (ADP), veuillez contacter :

Mme Frederika Schweighoferova
Directrice,
Programme droit international et droits humains
E: 


Mme Olivia Houssais
Chargée de programme,
Programme droit international et droits humains
E: