Human rights advocates say Singapore will execute a woman for the first time in almost 20 years.

Saridewi Djamani, 45, was convicted in 2018 of trafficking 30g (0.03oz) of heroin.

It will be the second drug convict executed in three days, following fellow Singaporean Mohd Aziz bin Hussain, and the 15th execution since March 2022.

To protect society, Singapore has some of the toughest anti-drug laws in the world.

Aziz was found guilty of trafficking 50 grams of heroin. Trafficking more than 15 grams of heroin and 500 grams of cannabis carries the death penalty in Singapore.

According to the CNB, Aziz was given “full due process” and his appeal against his conviction and sentence was dismissed in 2018.

Singapore’s executions have again been criticized by British billionaire Sir Richard Branson, who says the death penalty doesn’t deter crime.

“Small-scale drug traffickers need help, as most are bullied because of their circumstances,” Branson tweeted.

Saridewi’s execution can still be stopped, he said.

Saridewi is one of two women on death row in Singapore, according to Transformative Justice Collective.

According to the group, she will be the first woman executed by the city-state since hairdresser Yen May Woen was executed in 2004. Additionally, Yen was convicted of drug trafficking.

Local media reported that Saridewi testified during her trial that she was stocking up on heroin. The Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) declined to comment on Djamani’s case.

According to the CNB, Aziz was given “full due process” and his appeal against his conviction and sentence was dismissed in 2018.

The British billionaire Sir Richard Branson has again criticized Singapore for its executions, saying the death penalty does not deter crime.

“Small-scale drug traffickers need help, as most are bullied because of their circumstances,” Branson tweeted.

Saridewi’s execution can still be stopped, he said.

Transformative Justice Collective, a Singapore-based human rights organization, reports Saridewi is one of two women on death row in Singapore.

According to the group, she will be the first woman executed by the city-state since hairdresser Yen May Woen was executed in 2004. Additionally, Yen was convicted of drug trafficking.

In her trial, Saridewi testified that she was stocking up on heroin for personal use during the Islamic fasting month.

While she did not deny selling heroin and methamphetamine from her flat, she downplayed the scale of those activities.

Singapore has one of the world’s strictest drug laws, and the death penalty for drug offenses is widely favored by the public.

This is refuted by advocates of the death penalty.

“There is no evidence that the death penalty deters drug use and availability,” said Chiara Sangiorgio of Amnesty International.

“These executions only send a message that Singapore is willing to once again defy international safeguards against the death penalty,” she said.

According to Amnesty International, Singapore is one of only four countries to have executed people over drug-related offenses during the Islamic fasting month, alongside China, Iran, and Saudi Arabia.

While she did not deny selling heroin and methamphetamine from her flat, she downplayed the scale of those activities.

Singapore’s authorities argue that strict drug laws keep the country one of the safest places in the world, and that capital punishment for drug offenses is widely supported.

However, anti-death penalty advocates deny this.

“There is no evidence that the death penalty deters drug use and availability,” said Chiara Sangiorgio of Amnesty International.

According to her, these executions only send a message that Singapore is willing to once again defy international safeguards on the death penalty.

The human rights organization noted that Singapore, along with China, Iran, and Saudi Arabia, has recently carried out drug-related executions.