Singapore court fines women for pro-Palestinian walk

A court in Singapore has fined three women who organised a walk to show support for the Palestian cause, reversing an earlier acquittal.

The three women were acquitted last October of organising an illegal procession in 2024, which saw dozens walk towards the presidential office in support of Palestinians amid Israel's war in Gaza.

But the High Court overturned that decision on Thursday following an appeal by the prosecution, handing down a fine of S$3,000 ($2,300; £1,700) each.

Public demonstrations are rare in Singapore, which has tight restrictions on protests, and authorities have effectively banned public gatherings related to the Israel-Gaza war.

In February 2024, the three activists - Mossammad Sobikun Nahar, Siti Amirah Mohamed Asrori and Kokila Annamalai - had led around 70 people to walk from a shopping mall to the presidential compound next door, to deliver letters to the prime minister urging him to cut ties with Israel.

Photos of the procession show participants holding umbrellas printed with watermelons - a widely used motif for pro-Palestinian causes.

The three women were charged in June 2024 for organising a procession without a permit in a prohibited area.

During their trial, the defence argued that the women had walked on public roads and did not know the route along the presidential compound was prohibited.

The judge ruled to acquit them, noting that evidence showed they were "trying their level best not to run afoul of the law".

One of the women, Annamalai, told the BBC at the time that their acquittal would "give a new sense of energy and hope" to activists in Singapore.

But on Thursday, the judge at Singapore's High Court overturned the acquittal, saying the women should have made further enquiries on whether their planned procession would have been allowed, local media reported.

"There is a long fight ahead towards democratisation in Singapore, and acts of civil disobedience have an important part to play," Annamalai told the BBC after their ruling on Thursday.

"We should have every right to walk to the Prime Minister's Office at the Istana to deliver letters from ordinary Singaporeans."

Singapore's government maintains that rules on demonstrations are necessary to maintain peace and harmony, though critics say these rules stifle freedom of expression and civil activism.

-BBC