Swedish Ferry Linnbark, 44, has been sentenced to death in Malaysia for narcotic crimes. That ruling is against UN’s rules on death penalty, says Amnesty’s secretary of press, Elisabeth Löfgren to Swedish post Expressen.
Malaysia is only one of several countries in Southeast Asia where the punishment for narcotic crimes is the death sentence.
From 2009-2010 113 persons were sentenced to death by hanging, according to Harm Reduction International (HRI).
At least 39 were foreigners.
“It is not unusual that foreigners are sentenced to death in countries like Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand,” says Amnesty’s secretary of press, Elisabeth Löfgren.
Swedish Ferry Linnbark was convicted of having smuggled 4.3 kilos of amphetamine into the country.
The UN’s Economic and Social Council, ECOSOC, does not prohibit death penalty but states in guidelines that it should be reserved for only the most serious crimes.
“Such as murder. A person is not allowed to be sentenced to death for narcotic crimes according to the guidelines from the UN,” says Elisabeth Löfgren.
”But being sentenced to death does not automatically mean that the person will be executed. It is now up to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to intervene,” she adds.
David Fisher who is a professor of international law at the University of Stockholm says that Malaysia has very strict laws when it comes to narcotic crimes.
“They are very strict when it comes to all forms narcotic use and the crimes linked to it. This sentence is a clear signal of that,” he says.
In 2010 479 persons were on the Malaysian death row for narcotic crimes, according to HRI.
Read the original article at Expressen here
