A Malaysian man with a mental disability is to be hanged next week in Singapore after losing a final appeal, rights groups said Wednesday, but his Malaysian lawyer mounted a new bid to halt the execution.
Nagaenthran K. Dharmalingam has been on death row since 2010 for attempting to smuggle less than 43 grams (1.5 ounces) of heroin into Singapore. His scheduled hanging last November sparked widespread criticism, including from the European Union and British business magnate Richard Branson, because he is believed to be mentally disabled with an IQ of 69 — a level internationally recognized as an intellectual disability.
