Nigerian national Chijioke Stephen Obioha is set to be executed in Singapore on November 18, Amnesty International reported on Thursday.
Mr. Obioha was sentenced to death on December 30, 2008 after being arrested on April 9, 2007 for the possession of cannabis. He was found with over 2.6 kilograms of cannabis, an offense which, under Singapore law, mandates the death penalty.
Mr. Obioha appealed his sentence in August 2010, maintaining his innocence, but the court refused to commute his death penalty down to a prison sentence. According to Amnesty International, in Singapore, the burden of proof lies on the defendant rather than the prosecutor. The human rights organization explained that this is a violation of the right to a fair trial.
He has since filed an appeal to clemency. Amnesty International is urging human rights activists to petition the Singapore government to grant Mr. Obioha clemency.
