Singapore / Freedom of expression: UN expert alarmed by
sentencing of teenager blogger
GENEVA (8 July 2015) – The United Nations Special
Rapporteur on freedom of expression, David Kaye, today urged Singapore to
review the decision to sentence a 16-year old blogger to four weeks in prison
for posting a video and a caricature of Singapore’s founder Prime Minister Lee
Kuan Yew.
“Condemning an adolescent to prison for expressing his
opinion is clearly unacceptable according to international standards for
freedom of expression and for the rights of the child,” Mr. Kaye said, while
welcoming the release this week of the teenage blogger after having already
served more than a month in custody, reportedly under harsh conditions which
affected his health.
“The court’s deeply unfortunate decision does not only
curb the adolescent’s rights but also exerts a deterrent effect on others in
Singapore who criticize public figures or the Government,” the independent
expert warned.
The Special Rapporteur emphasized that international
standards are clear in this regard: “The mere fact that a form of expression is
considered to be insulting to a public figure is not sufficient to justify the
imposition of penalties,” he said. “More importantly, openness to all forms of
criticism is always to be expected in the necessary debate on present or past
public figures, no matter how revered by the public.”
“I am also particularly worried at the physical and
psychological effect of his time in custody,” Mr. Kaye said, stressing that the
detention of the teenager blogger does not meet the standards sent by the UN
Convention on the Rights of the Child.
“The reported treatment and conditions of detention were
particularly harsh and would never meet the minimum standards regarding the
imposition of custodial measures for children, which should be used at last
resort, only for the shortest possible period of time, only if is in the best
interests of the child, and limited to exceptional cases,” the independent
expert concluded.
Mr. Kaye’s appeal to the Singaporean authorities has been
endorsed by the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders,
Michel Forst; the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment
of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, Dainius
Pûras; and the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or
degrading treatment or punishment, Juan E. Méndez.
ENDS
David Kaye (USA) was appointed as Special Rapporteur on
the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
in August 2014 by the United Nations Human Rights Council. The UN Special
Rapporteurs are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human
Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in
the UN Human Rights, is the general name of the independent fact-finding and monitoring
mechanisms of the Human Rights Council that address either specific country
situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures’
experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a
salary for their work. They are independent from any government or organization
and serve in their individual capacity.
Learn more, log on to:
Freedom of expression:
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/FreedomOpinion/Pages/OpinionIndex.aspx
UN Human Rights, country page – Singapore:
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Countries/AsiaRegion/Pages/SGIndex.aspx
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