Corona stopped the execution of a Malaysian at the last moments

The Singapore Court of Appeal, in the last moments before carrying out a death sentence issued against a mentally disabled Malaysian, suspended the execution of the sentence after he was scheduled to be executed on Wednesday for drug smuggling.

Judge Andrew Fang said it would not be appropriate to proceed with the execution of the sentence, as the accused, Nagantran Dharmalingam, tested positive for the Corona virus, which is a "fairly unexpected" development, according to what local media reported in the courtroom.

The judge was due to hear an appeal by Nagantran's defense attorney, challenging the rejection of the defendant's request on Monday for a judicial review of his case due to his disability.

No new date for the appeal has been set.

Nagantran, 33, has been on death row for more than 10 years.

His case has drawn international attention in recent days as his execution date approaches, with the Malaysian government, British businessman Richard Branson and the European Union representative in Singapore petitioning for his pardon.

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