Shanmugam Murugesu

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Shanmugam Murugesu (c.1967 – 13 May 2005) was a Tamil Singaporean executed for smuggling 1.03 kg of cannabis into Singapore from Malaysia. Such offenses carry a mandatory death sentence under Singapore's Misuse of Drugs Act.

Prior to his death, Murugesu's case was publicized by campaigners against capital punishment in Singapore, which has the highest per capita rates of legalized execution in the world.

His mother campaigned for his sentence to be reduced, defending her son by stating he spent eight years in the Army of Singapore and otherwise had no criminal record. She stated "Give him 5, 10 or 20 years, do not take his life."

Murugesu left a wife and two sons.

[edit] External links

• The Humble Petition of Shanmugam s/o Murugesu
• Singapore finally finds a voice in death row protest from The Observer newspaper.