LFL referred to a statement by Singapore’s Attorney-General’s Chambers yesterday that it reserved all rights against lawyer M Ravi, who is representing Datchinamurthy Kataiah and Gobi Avedian.

In the application for a stay of execution, the two men have cited shocking claims by LFL last month that Changi Prison guards employed brutal execution methods in the event the rope broke during an execution procedure, allegations which were rejected by the government.

“This means that the all-powerful Singapore AGC is dangling the threat of criminal proceedings, or punitive action, over M Ravi, should he proceed with this controversial case,” said LFL’s N Surendran and Melissa Sasidaran in a statement.

“This is like a sword of Damocles left hanging over M Ravi personally. Despite repeated requests by Ravi during yesterday’s hearing, the AGC refused to withdraw their threat,” they said.

Ravi had among others sought a court order to protect a former prison officer cited by LFL in its allegations of extralegal execution methods at Changi Prison.

LFL warned that Singapore would likely use “a range of oppressive laws at its disposal” against Ravi, as the authorities fight critics who are against the city-state’s “brutal death penalty regime”.

“For such a threat to be made against a lawyer defending prisoners facing execution is shocking and unprecedented, even for a notoriously intolerant country such as Singapore,” they added.

Last month, LFL sued Singapore’s home minister after he instructed the group to publish the government’s denial alongside its claims of brutal execution methods in Singapore, invoking the republic’s Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act.

LFL said Singapore has no jurisdiction to interfere in the rights of Malaysian citizens to freedom of expression.