Press Statement
Malaysian citizen Datchinamurty Kataiah legal suit to stay his execution will be heard on Thursday 28th April 2022 on the eve of his execution
27 April 2022
Datchinamurthy Kataiah, the Malaysian citizen who is scheduled to be executed on Friday 29th April 2022 at Singapore’s deadly Changi Prison has filed in court an application to stay his execution.
The application which Datchinamurty had made and filed himself through the Prison will be heard by the High Court by video conferencing at 9.30am on Thursday 28th April 2022, which is the eve of execution.
The application is by way of judicial review to prohibit Friday’s execution on grounds that it is unlawful to execute him while he still has a legal challenge pending which is fixed for hearing on 20th May 2022. It is unheard of for an execution to be carried out while the prisoner’s case is still ongoing in court.
Datchinamurty will be arguing his own case because he and his family have been unable to secure the services of a lawyer. Lawyers in Singapore are afraid to represent prisoners in these important legal challenges from death row because of fear of reprisals from the AG and the courts. Hence, Datchinamurty who is a layperson is forced to argue his own case in court, upon which his life will depend.
This denial of a fair legal process and representation by a lawyer to a Malaysian citizen facing imminent execution is shocking and unacceptable.
Issued by:
Zaid Malek
Chief Coordinator
Lawyers for Liberty