BBC Photo: Siti Amirah Mohamed Asrori, Kokila Annamalai and Mossammad Sobikun Nahar, charged with organising an illegal procession
Source: BBC News
DST News: In a rare decision, a Singapore court has acquitted three women charged with organising an illegal procession to show support for the Palestinian cause, ruling that their actions did not fully meet the legal definition of the offence.
The women — community organisers Mossammad Sobikun Nahar and Kokila Annamalai, and content creator Siti Amirah Mohamed Asrori — were accused of conducting an unlicensed public procession in a restricted zone during a February 2024 walk to the presidential office, the Istana.
About 70 participants joined the walk, carrying umbrellas painted like watermelons, a symbol widely associated with Palestinian solidarity.
During the trial, the defence argued that the organisers had no prior knowledge that their route around the Istana was a prohibited area, as it followed public roads with no visible signage. The judge agreed, stating that the women appeared to have “tried their level best not to run afoul of the law.”
Although the court confirmed that the women had indeed organised a procession, it ruled that they “would not have any inkling that using that route would be illegal.”
Had they been convicted, the women faced fines of up to S$10,000 (US$7,700) or six months in jail.
The verdict drew audible gasps from a courtroom packed with supporters, many of whom had anticipated convictions given Singapore’s strict ban on public demonstrations without a permit.
Public protests are highly restricted in the city-state, and authorities have rejected all permit requests related to the Israel-Gaza war, citing the risk of public disorder.
Following the ruling, Ms. Annamalai told the BBC that the acquittal “came as a surprise,” but she hoped it would “give a new sense of energy and hope” to Singapore’s civil rights movement and pro-Palestinian supporters.
“It’s hard to feel celebratory because we shouldn’t have been charged in the first place,” she said. “But the community needed a win.”
The women had drawn public attention during the trial for appearing in court wearing outfits in the colours of the Palestinian flag and keffiyeh scarves, a gesture they said symbolised “defiance and solidarity.”
Singapore’s prosecutorial office later confirmed that it intends to appeal the ruling. Meanwhile, police have continued to investigate other offline and online events linked to the Israel-Gaza conflict, including a January memorial held by university students for Palestinian victims, where six people were questioned.
The Singapore government maintains its support for a two-state solution, and has said it will recognise a Palestinian state only when it has an effective government that accepts Israel’s right to exist and rejects terrorism.
