Tessa WongAsia Digital Reporter
Provided by Kokila AnnamalaiA court in Singapore has acquitted three women who organised a walk to the presidential office to show support for the Palestinian cause.
The women were prosecuted for organising an illegal procession. But a judge ruled their actions did not meet the full charge.
One of the women told the BBC she felt that the unexpected acquittal would “give a new sense of energy and hope” to activists in Singapore.
Public demonstrations are uncommon in Singapore, which has very strict rules against protests and requires a police permit for any gathering promoting a cause. Authorities have also effectively banned public gatherings related to the Israel-Gaza war.
Any permit applications for public assemblies related to the Israel-Gaza war would be turned down because of the “real risk that such events could give rise to public disorder”, as the war was a sensitive topic, authorities have said.
Singapore’s government has argued that rules on demonstrations are necessary to maintain peace and harmony in the tiny country. Critics say that these rules stifle freedom of expression and civil activism.
The latest case centred on an event organised in February 2024 by community organiser Mossammad Sobikun Nahar and content creator Siti Amirah Mohamed Asrori. They were assisted by community organiser Kokila Annamalai.
About 70 people showed up to take part in the walk from a shopping mall to the presidential office, known as the Istana.
Provided by Kokila AnnamalaiThe trial drew some attention in Singapore. Pictures of the three women dressed in clothing in the colours of the Palestinian flag and keffiyeh scarves for their court appearances went viral online.
Ms Annamalai told the BBC that the women deliberately chose their outfits to send a statement and “show our defiance and solidarity”.
With activists in the past convicted for holding unlawful public assemblies – even if they were only attended by one person – some had expected the women to receive convictions.
Local media reports on Tuesday said there were “loud gasps” when the verdict was read out in the courtroom packed with the women’s supporters.
Ms Annamalai said she had been “fully prepared to be convicted” and that their acquittal “came as a surprise”.
“But it is also difficult to feel celebratory about it because we shouldn’t have been charged in first place,” she added.
She said their acquittal “can provide that new sense of energy and hope” as there was a “long fight ahead” for the civil rights movement and supporters of Palestine in Singapore. “The community needed a win,” she said.
The BBC has contacted Singapore’s prosecutorial office for a response to the verdict. Prosecutors have two weeks to file an appeal.
Police have launched investigations into other offline and online events related to the Israel-Gaza war.
The latest was in January when a group of local university students organised a memorial event for Palestinian students in front of a building said to house a research centre operated by an Israeli university. Six people have been questioned.
The Singapore government has consistently supported the two-state solution for Israel and Palestine, and has supported Palestine’s membership in the United Nations.
In September, Singapore’s foreign minister said they would recognise a Palestinian state “when it has an effective government that accepts Israel’s right to exist and categorically renounces terrorism”.
