We, the undersigned organizations, are deeply concerned by the continuing criminalization of human rights defenders (HRDs), activists, lawyers and journalists in Singapore for exercising their internationally protected rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. The recent wave of charges against participants in peaceful assemblies reflects a broader pattern of restrictions on civic space and criminalization of human rights work, deepening the chilling effect on individuals and groups challenging or advocating for reform of government policies, including those related to the abolition of the death penalty in Singapore and peaceful expressions of solidarity with Palestinians.
On 28 September 2026, six individuals – Annamalai Kokila Parvathi, Ten Leu Jiun Jeanne-Marie, Howe Wen Khong Rocky, Kirsten Han, Lim Kay Siu and Neo Swee Lin Winifred – were charged under the Public Order Act in the State Court for their alleged involvement in peaceful assemblies and vigils. Five were charged for a gathering outside the State Courts on 3 February 2025. Ten Leu Jiun Jeanne-Marie was charged in relation to two candlelight vigils held outside Changi Prison in November 2024, while Howe Wen Khong Rocky faces additional charges relating to three vigils held between November 2024 and January 2025. Some of those charged were required to remove or cover their T-shirts with slogans or symbols in order to access the courtroom. Those charged were also required to surrender their passports, were placed in shackles, and spent time in police custody before being released on bail.
The prosecutions follow charges brought earlier in September against other activists, including Jolovan Wham, Elijah Tay and S Suraendher Kumarr, also in connection with peaceful actions and vigils. Jolovan Wham and Elijah Tay alone face a total of 19 charges. Overall, 14 human rights defenders and activists have been charged over recent weeks, while others have received ‘conditional warnings’, indicating an escalating pattern of criminalization and reprisals against people exercising their fundamental rights and carrying out their human rights work.
We find the use of the Public Order Act and other criminal laws to restrict the exercise of the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly to be deeply concerning. The authorities have continued to rely on the Public Order Act to prosecute individuals for organizing or participating in peaceful assemblies, including actions against the death penalty and expressions of solidarity with Palestine. The authorities have stated that the Public Order Act applies regardless of the cause being advocated and that permits will not be granted for assemblies advocating “political causes of other countries” or “foreign entities” where they consider there “may be implications for public order or social harmony”. The repeated use of the Act against peaceful human rights advocacy is incompatible with the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly and therefore should be subjected to strict scrutiny under applicable international standards. This includes the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Singapore has yet to be a state party.
The wave of criminalization against activists should be viewed in the context of Singapore's fourth Universal Periodic Review (UPR). During the United Nations (UN) review of its human rights record in May 2026, Singapore received numerous recommendations concerning freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, civic space and the protection of human rights defenders, as well as the death penalty. The UN Human Rights Council adopted the outcome of the review on 28 September 2026. Although Singapore supported a majority of the 342 recommendations it received, it failed to support most of the recommendations related to civic space, including calls to amend or repeal restrictive laws, ensuring an enabling environment for civil society and human rights defenders, and strengthening protections for the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association. It also noted, effectively rejecting, all recommendations related to the abolition of the death penalty.
The current prosecutions underscore the need for Singapore to immediately change course and implement in full the UPR recommendations. Singapore should ensure that its laws, policies and practices relating to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and the protection of human rights defenders are consistent with international human rights law. Its UPR review should translate into tangible improvements in the operating environment for activists, human rights defenders, civil society organizations, lawyers and journalists, including those working on politically-sensitive issues such as the death penalty.
Human rights advocacy is an essential component of civic participation and public accountability. Lawyers, journalists, activists and human rights defenders must be able to scrutinise and challenge government laws and policies, and carry out their work without fear of criminal prosecution or other reprisals.
Therefore, we, the undersigned organizations, call on the Government of Singapore to:
- Drop the charges against individuals solely for their peaceful participation in assemblies and vigils, including Annamalai Kokila Parvathi, Ten Leu Jiun Jeanne-Marie, Howe Wen Khong Rocky, Kirsten Han, Lim Kay Siu, Neo Swee Lin Winifred, Jolovan Wham, Elijah Tay, S Suraendher Kumarr and others facing arbitrary prosecution;
- End the use of criminal and administrative measures to intimidate or penalize human rights defenders, activists, lawyers and journalists for exercising their rights to freedom of expression and to peaceful assembly;
- Review and amend the Public Order Act and Penal Code to ensure that restrictions on peaceful assembly comply with international human rights standards, including the requirements of legality, necessity and proportionality;
- Ensure that police investigations, questioning and prosecutions are not used as reprisals against individuals exercising their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly;
- Implement relevant recommendations from Singapore's fourth UPR, including those concerning civic space, freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, and the protection of human rights defenders, with meaningful civil-society participation in implementation and follow-up; and
- Ratify the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and take concrete steps to align national laws and practices more closely with its protections for freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and association.
Signatory:
Amnesty International
Anti-Death Penalty Asia Network (ADPAN)
Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA)
Capital Punishment Justice Project
CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation
Frontline Defenders
Human Rights Watch
Lembaga Bantuan Hukum Masyarakat
Taiwan Alliance to End the Death Penalty
