Singapore Court Acquits Three; Prosecution to Appeal

A Singapore district court on Oct 21 acquitted three women — Mossammad Sobikun Nahar, Siti Amirah Mohamed Asrori and Annamalai Kokila Parvathi — of organising a pro‑Palestine procession near the Istana, finding they had an "honest and reasonable belief" the route was not prohibited. District Judge John Ng said the prosecution proved the women organised the walk but failed to show they ought reasonably to have known the pavement formed part of a prohibited area, noting the path was publicly used, lacked signage and similar letter‑delivery walks had occurred. The Feb. 2, 2024 event involved about 70 people delivering letters to the Prime Minister’s Office mail drop at the Istana, with some carrying watermelon‑pattern umbrellas as a solidarity symbol. The women had faced potential penalties of up to S$10,000 in fines and six months' jail if convicted. The Attorney‑General’s Chambers said it will appeal the verdict.