This statement was delivered by Human Rights Watch at the 63rd regular session of the UN Human Rights Council during the adoption of Singapore Universal Periodic Review (UPR) outcome held on September 28, 2026.
Human Rights Watch regrets that Singapore did not support any recommendations regarding its use of capital punishment, its repressive laws on the rights to freedom of expression and assembly, or its exclusion of migrant workers from its Employment Act.
We welcome the many recommendations calling on Singapore to establish a moratorium on executions with a view to abolishing the death penalty. To date, Singapore has executed 19 people this year, all on drug trafficking charges which carry a mandatory death penalty. Drug offenses do not meet the “most serious crimes” threshold under international law, and legal proceedings under the Misuse of Drugs Act fail to meet due process guarantees required in capital trials.
Singapore did not support recommendations to protect freedom of expression and assembly, insisting its rules are “applied equally and consistently.” In practice, overbroad laws are frequently used to prosecute peaceful protesters and critics of the government, most recently people who organized candlelight vigils outside Changi Prison for those facing imminent execution. The Public Order Act requires a permit for even an “assembly” of one person, and the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act gives the government discretionary powers to issue “correction directions” to online content that it claims contains falsehoods.
In its written response, Singapore acknowledged that migrant domestic workers require additional protection, yet it rejected recommendations to strengthen protections for migrant workers, citing separate tailored legislation. Under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act, migrant workers have no limits on daily working hours, and their visas are tied to their employers, who may unilaterally cancel contracts and repatriate them.
We urge Singapore to reconsider its positions, establish an immediate moratorium on executions, repeal or amend laws that criminalize peaceful expression and assembly, and extend the Employment Act’s protections to all workers.
