Singapore

Free speech has suffered in Singapore, says Human Rights Watch – faced with contempt of court charges, a political cartoonist has agreed to publicly apologise for publishing four cartoons on his Facebook page that the authorities claimed “scandalized the judiciary”.

A recently announced licensing scheme for online news in Singapore is effectively extending the country’s strict regulation of news and public affairs information to its relatively-freer online news media.

Singapore’s plan to impose licensing fees on news websites will further stifle the press in the city-state’s already claustrophobic media atmosphere, the Committee to Protect Journalists warns.

Yale’s acceptance of Singaporean restrictions on basic rights at the new Yale – National University of Singapore campus shows a disturbing disregard for free speech, says Human Rights Watch.

Martyn See was questioned by the police for possibly having contravened the Public Order Act by organising a public assembly without a permit.

The police allege that the Singapore Democratic Party allowed “fugitives from justice” to interfere with domestic politics because former detainees Francis Seow and Tang Fong Har participated in a political discussion via video conference.

While Singapore accepted 84 of the 112 recommendations made by Member States at its first UN Human Rights Council review, those regarding media freedom, and the protection and promotion of the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly and association were rejected.

The AFP news agency reported that Shadrake was taken to the Changi Airport and deported after having served five weeks of an eight-week jail term for contempt of court.

The court’s decision to uphold Alan Shadrake’s contempt of court sentence for “scandalising the judiciary” is a major setback for free expression and the charges should be dropped, Human Rights Watch said.

United Nations member states should denounce the severe restrictions on freedom of expression, association, and assembly during the country’s first-ever Universal Periodic Review (UPR), Human Rights Watch said.

Chee Soon Juan, secretary-general of the Singapore Democratic Party, has been convicted of “making an address in a public place without a licence”.

“Forcing The Online Citizen to register as a political association distorts its role and threatens its ability to cover politics. The prime minister is clearly trying to tighten control of media outlets before calling elections,” said CPJ.

The Singapore High Court sentenced British author Alan Shadrake to six weeks in prison and fined him US$15,400 over his book criticising the nation’s judiciary.

The public is invited to join IFEX members in signing a petition to Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong regarding the case of British writer and journalist Alan Shadrake who is at risk of being sent to prison in Singapore for his book, “Once a Jolly Hangman: Singapore Justice in the Dock” about the death penalty.

Alan Shadrake wrote a critical book on Singapore’s courts and the death penalty.

Just days ahead of the verdict in his trial, British journalist Alan Shadrake defends his book, insists on his innocence and explains his motives.