Singapore Executes 17 in 2024, Highest Toll in Over Two Decades

Singapore has executed 17 people so far this year, according to official records. This marks the country's highest annual execution total in more than 20 years. The figure includes three executions carried out in a single week last month at Changi Prison. All 17 individuals were convicted of drug trafficking. Singapore maintains some of the world's strictest anti-drug laws. Authorities argue that capital punishment is a necessary deterrent to protect society from the harms of illegal drugs. Rights groups, including Amnesty International, condemn the practice. They call the death penalty cruel and ineffective, urging Singapore to halt all executions. The surge in executions this year signals a firm continuation of Singapore's zero-tolerance drug policy.