Republic of Singapore
Head of state: Tony Tan Keng Yam
Head of government: Lee Hsien Loong

The People's Action Party, whose founder, former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, died in March, continued to penalize government critics for exercising their right to freedom of expression. The media and human rights defenders were tightly controlled through revocation of licences and criminal charges. Judicial caning and the death penalty were retained.

FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION

Amos Yee, a 16-year-old blogger, was sentenced to four weeks' imprisonment for "uttering words with deliberate intent to wound the religious or racial feelings of any person" and "transmitting obscene materials", after he uploaded a video and cartoon criticizing Lee Kuan Yew online.[1] The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights urged Singapore to consider the case in light of its obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

In May, the Media Development Authority suspended the licences permitting editors Yang Kaiheng and Ai Takagi to operate the news website, social media accounts and mobile applications of The Real Singapore newspaper after it published articles that allegedly "sought to incite anti-foreigner sentiments in Singapore". The two faced seven counts of sedition and a charge under the Penal Code for failure to produce documents required by the police.

Human rights lawyer M Ravi, who handled cases involving the death penalty; freedom of expression; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) workers' rights; and the rights of foreign workers facing deportation, was temporarily suspended from his practice in February, ostensibly on health grounds. There were concerns this may have been politically motivated.

DEATH PENALTY

Death sentences continued to be imposed, including as mandatory punishment for murder and drug trafficking. Muhammad bin Kadar was executed at Changi Prison Complex in April. He had been found guilty of "intentional murder", which continues to carry a mandatory death sentence. Reports indicated that a further two people were executed during the year, but there was no official announcement. In November, Malaysian national Kho Jabing, convicted of murder, was granted a stay of execution pending a review of his case. At least 26 people remained on death row at the end of the year.[2]

CRUEL, INHUMAN OR DEGRADING PUNISHMENT

Caning continued to be used as punishment for a range of crimes by males aged 16 to 50. It remained mandatory for cases such as drug trafficking and immigration offences. The Supreme Court in March ruled that caning was not unconstitutional.

COUNTER-TERROR AND SECURITY

M Arifil Azim Putra Norja'i and an unnamed 17-year-old, both deemed to have "self-radicalized", were arrested on terrorism-related charges under the Internal Security Act. M Arifil Azim Putra Norja'i was detained administratively for planning to join the armed group Islamic State (IS) abroad. The 17-year-old was arrested and detained in early May, but was released from custody in June with a two-year Restriction Order.


[1] Singapore: Amos Yee sentence a dark day for freedom of expression (News story, 6 July)

[2] Singapore: Submission to the UN Universal Periodic Review 24th session, January-February 2016 (ASA 36/2664/2015)

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