Lawyer N Surendran, in a tweet today, said Singapore’s Court of Appeal dismissed Prabagaran’s application to stay his execution, pending his case in the Malaysian courts to refer Singapore to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for denial of a fair trial.
“Stay of execution jst dismissed by Spore ct of appeal. S Prabagaran will be hanged 2moro morning,” he tweeted.
He told FMT in a message the appeals court had ruled that Singapore is a sovereign nation and that it will not wait for the outcome of proceedings in Malaysia.
Prabagaran is scheduled to be executed early Friday morning.
Singaporean anti-death penalty group We Believe In Second Chances, in a Facebook post after the appeals court dismissed Prabagaran’s bid to stop his execution, said the NGO would hold a candlelight vigil at Changi Prison tonight.
“This vigil is a show of solidarity and support for Prabagaran’s family at this difficult time, and will be peaceful and non-disruptive.
“We have not sought a permit for this gathering, and there is a chance that the authorities might ask us to disperse.
“If this occurs, all participants should comply and move on accordingly without violence or disruption so as not to add to the distress of the family at this time,” the group said in its Facebook post.
In a response, Amnesty International consultant Michelle Yesudas expressed her disappointment over the decision on her Twitter feed.
“This is horrible news, as there is a pending case in the Malaysian courts. It is disappointing the court did not provide them with a stay,” she said.
Prabagaran was convicted in 2012 after 22.24g of diamorphine, a pure form of heroin, was found in his car at the Singaporean immigration checkpoint as he tried to enter the country.
He has maintained his innocence, claiming that he did not own the car he drove and was not aware of the drugs being in it.
Earlier this year, he turned to the Malaysian court to compel the government to start legal proceedings against Singapore before an international tribunal for denying him a fair trial.
Surendran had said this application was unprecedented as his client and family members had exhausted all avenues to stop the execution from being carried out.
On March 24, Prabagaran failed to obtain leave at the Kuala Lumpur High Court to compel the Malaysian government to start proceedings against Singapore.
Justice Hanipah Farikullah ruled, in chambers, that the courts had no powers to interfere with foreign policy issues.