January 30, 2004

An Australian national facing the death penalty for drug offences in Singapore is due to receive his verdict today.

Nguyen Tuong Van, 23, is charged with trafficking 400 grams (14 ounces) of heroin and, if found guilty, faces death by hanging.

His lawyers are arguing Singapore's mandatory death sentence for drug traffickers is unconstitutional and that police mishandled evidence.

Foreign Minister Alexander Downer today said the Australian government had made pleas for Nguyen to be spared the death penalty.

"If people are involved in the drug trade in any way, shape or form then we are against that and countries are right to arrest and detain and prosecute people in those circumstances," he said.

"But on the other hand, we don't favour capital punishment so we have been trying to persuade the Singapore government that, if this Australian is convicted, we don't want him to face capital punishment."

Mr Downer said he had spoken directly to the Singaporean Foreign Minister Professor S Jayakumar about the matter.

If Nguyen was convicted he could appeal against the verdict, and there was also a slim chance of receiving clemency from the president of Singapore, Mr Downer said.

Singapore made the death penalty mandatory for drug traffickers and murderers in 1975.

Over the past 10 years more than 400 people have been executed in the island state.

- AAP

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