Singapore, 28 July 2023 (dpa/MIA) - Singapore executed a woman for the first time in 19 years on Friday, despite protests from human rights activists.

Saridewi Binte Djamani, 45, was found guilty of possession of around 30 grams of diamorphine (heroin) for the purposes of trafficking in 2018 and sentenced to death, the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) said in a statement confirming her death.

Singapore's laws allow for the death penalty if the amount of diamorphine is more than 15 grams.

"30.72 grammes of diamorphine is more than twice that amount, and is sufficient to feed the addiction of about 370 abusers for a week," CNB added.

It said Saridewi was "accorded full due process under the law" and had unsuccessfully appealed her conviction and sentence. Her petition for clemency was also unsuccessful, CNB added.

"Capital punishment is used only for the most serious crimes, such as the trafficking of significant quantities of drugs which cause very serious harm, not just to individual drug abusers, but also to their families and the wider society," CNB said.

Earlier in the week Mohd Aziz bin Hussain was executed after being convicted of trafficking about 50 grams of diamorphine.

Human rights groups such as Amnesty International and celebrities had asked the authorities to pardon the pair.

"We oppose the death penalty in all circumstances. It violates the right to life and is the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment," Amnesty said.

Photo: MIA archive