Contempt of Court
A little late, but nonetheless.
The WMD's DemocracyNews
Electronic Newsletter of the World Movement for Democracy - www.wmd.org
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(March 15, 2006) Democracy Alert:
Participant of the World Movement for Democracy Faces Imprisonment
Dr. Chee Soon Juan, leader of Singapore Democratic Party is under threat of imprisonment after he was charged with the contempt for court for making critical comments about Singapore Judiciary. The trial against him will begin on March 16. 2006.
Dr. Chee was sued in 2002 by former Prime Ministers Lee Kuan Yew and Goh Chok Tong for defamation. After a summary procedure, in which Dr, Chee was not allowed to retain counsel, the court awarded the case the plaintiff ordering Dr. Chee to pay $300,000 in damages. In February 2006, he was declared bankrupt and thus deprived of some of his civil rights, in particular the right to stand for office. At the bankruptcy hearing, Dr. Chee made a statement protesting the unfair trial and citing the patterns of such trials against many opposition figures. As a result of this statement, charges of contempt of court have been filed against him. The hearings on the case are due to start on March 16, 2006. Since there is no maximum penalty for charges related to the contempt of court, Dr. Chee could face a long imprisonment.
Dr. Chee is a participant of the World Movement for Democracy. Also, he is a member of Steering Committees of the Alliance for Reform and Democracy in Asia (ARDA) and of World Forum for Democracy in Asia (WFDA)
For actions you can take, please consult Amnesty International's Urgent Action Appeal:
"Singapore: Bankrupt Opposition Leader Now Faces Possible Imprisonment"
Please find below statements issues by WMD participating organizations:
Technorati: Singapore, democracy, civil rights, politics
ao longo de garota a 05:33
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