Human rights group Amnesty International (AI) urged Singapore yesterday to protect freedom of expression after an Asian magazine paid S$405,000 (US$290,000) to settle a defamation suit by the country’s prime minister and his father.
Far Eastern Economic Review reached the settlement on Tuesday after the Court of Appeal upheld last year’s decision finding the defendants guilty of defaming Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong (李顯龍) and his father, former Singaporean prime minister Lee Kuan Yew (李光耀).
The Review’s editor, Hugo Restal, and the Review Publishing Co were alleged to have defamed the Lees in a 2006 article based on an interview with Chee Soon Juan (徐順全), an opposition party leader. The magazine is owned by the US-based Dow Jones & Co.
“This ruling further illustrates how press freedom is under threat in Singapore and sets a dangerous precedent for freedom of expression and journalism in the region,” Sam Zarifi of Amnesty International said in a statement.
He said Singapore’s parliament should enact legislation to allow the media to act as a watchdog and bring laws on freedom of expression in line with international law and standards.
“Laws that allow the authorities to impose restrictions on freedom of expression together with a pattern of politically motivated defamation suits, have created a climate of political intimidation and self-censorship in Singapore,” he said.
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