Vigils held across Singapore in support of death row inmate Pannir Selvam
Multiple civil society and political groups are holding vigils across Singapore on 7 October 2025, in solidarity with Pannir Selvam Pranthaman, who faces imminent execution. Organisers cite a call for justice, transparency, and compassion in death penalty cases.
- Four vigils are being held in Singapore on 7 October to support Pannir Selvam and his family.
- Organisers cite overcrowding at Hong Lim Park and have chosen alternative locations for the events.
- Civil society groups describe the vigils as expressions of compassion, reflection, and justice.
Vigils across Singapore call for justice and reflection
On 7 October 2025, several civil society and political groups are holding vigils across Singapore in solidarity with death row inmate Pannir Selvam Pranthaman, ahead of his scheduled execution on 8 October.
The vigils are intended to express support for Pannir’s family and to call for greater reflection and transparency in Singapore’s approach to capital punishment.
According to independent journalist Kirsten Han, the gatherings were organised after Hong Lim Park — the usual venue for such events — was found to be fully booked between 4 and 12 October.
Four locations, one message: solidarity
In response, organisers have arranged four separate vigils around the city:
-
The Arts & Civic Space (TACS), 2 Kallang Avenue: An overnight vigil from 7pm to 6am, hosted by Rev Miak Siew of the Free Community Church and the Transformative Justice Collective.
-
Pearl’s Hill Terrace (#03-27): A 7pm to 9pm gathering hosted by Student Actions for Transformative Justice (SATU).
-
HOME Geylang Office: Organised by the Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics (HOME) and the Transformative Justice Collective, from 7pm to 9pm.
-
Orange & Teal, Rochester Mall: A vigil supported by the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP), Red Dot United (RDU), and the Transformative Justice Collective, also from 7pm to 9pm.
Each event is open to members of the public, with organisers encouraging peaceful presence, reflection, and solidarity.
Civil society and political groups show support
The vigils have drawn broad support from civil and political organisations, including RDU, SDP, HOME, SATU, and the Free Community Church.
In a statement, Red Dot United described the vigils as “an act of conscience”, emphasising the importance of due judicial consideration in capital cases.
“It is a collective call to reaffirm that the power to decide life and death must always rest with the courts after full and transparent judicial consideration, not with administrative discretion,” the statement read.
Ravi Philemon, RDU’s secretary-general, also expressed his views:
“The worth of a society is not seen in how swiftly it condemns, but in how deeply it considers. Every life we take without reflection diminishes the dignity of us all.”
A family under pressure
Kirsten Han noted that this is the third time Pannir’s family has received an execution notice, and the second such notice this year alone.
“It is traumatic, stressful, and exhausting every time,” Han wrote on We, The Citizens.
She added that while such vigils cannot halt the judicial process, they provide a space for people to come together in empathy and resistance, and to support a grieving family in their time of need.
Broader concerns over fairness and transparency
The vigils come amid wider discussions surrounding the use of the death penalty in Singapore. Pannir’s case has gained attention due to ongoing investigations in Malaysia, where he was said to have recently provided information identifying individuals allegedly behind a cross-border drug syndicate.
Despite this, Pannir faces execution on 8 October, following the dismissal of his most recent legal appeals.
A final stay application is scheduled to be heard by the Singapore Court of Appeal on 7 October, but the outcome remains uncertain.
A movement beyond one case
While the vigils are centred around Pannir Selvam’s case, organisers and participants say they reflect broader concerns about the death penalty in Singapore.
Groups like the Transformative Justice Collective have long called for a moratorium on executions and for reforms in how the criminal justice system handles drug offences.
As vigils continue into the night, organisers say they stand not only for Pannir, but for all individuals affected by capital punishment and for a justice system that values life and compassion.
