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3 weeks’ jail, S$20k fine for man who protested against judiciary, PM

SINGAPORE — The man who held demonstrations in the Central Business District last month against the "corrupt judiciary" and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong was sentenced to three weeks' jail and fined S$20,000 on Monday (Aug 14).

Yan Jun, who held demonstrations in the Central Business District in July against the "corrupt judiciary" and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong was sentenced to three weeks' jail and fined S$20,000 on Monday (Aug 14). TODAY file photo

Yan Jun, who held demonstrations in the Central Business District in July against the "corrupt judiciary" and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong was sentenced to three weeks' jail and fined S$20,000 on Monday (Aug 14). TODAY file photo

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SINGAPORE  — The man who held demonstrations in the Central Business District last month against the judiciary and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong was sentenced to three weeks’ jail and fined S$20,000 on Monday (Aug 14). 

Yan Jun (picture), 41, was found guilty of his offences in the morning by a district judge, following a two-day trial last week. 

Yan had, on two occasions in July, staged a solo protest outside Raffles Place MRT station, where he criticised Singapore’s judicial system and called for Mr Lee to step down.

Video footage from the police that was played in court last Thursday showed Yan standing at Raffles Place with a loudhailer and a placard displaying the words “judicial corruption in Supreme Court”, calling on the Prime Minister to resign. 

He ignored warnings from police officers and when they wanted to arrest him, he resisted and continued shouting at them through the loudhailer. 

Yan, who is unemployed, was also charged over similar demonstrations last October outside the United States Embassy and last December outside the British High Commission. He faced one charge of behaving in a disorderly manner by shouting at police officers through a loudhailer. 

Yan, who is not represented, claimed trial to all five counts. The prosecution had called 11 witnesses, including the officers who arrested him at the Raffles Place protests.

Last Thursday, the court heard that Yan had tried to apply for a permit for a protest, to be held on March 3 last year, called “Protest against judicial corruption in Singapore”. It was not approved and he did not apply for permits for his July protests. 

Yan did not present any evidence in court in his defence, insisting that he “was not given a chance to access legal documents and evidence” because he was “locked up in prison”. He insisted that he was “forced” to attend the “unfair” hearing and said, at many points during the trial, he wanted to exercise his “right to silence”. 

Arguing for a total fine of S$20,000 — the maximum for the offence — as well as a jail term of at least three weeks, the prosecution said Yan had reoffended time and again.

He protested outside the US Embassy while out on bail, awaiting the outcome of a High Court appeal against a conviction for a similar offence, and against his sentence of a S$5,000 fine. After serving jail in lieu of the fine, he protested outside the British High Commission. 

Yan had “shown no remorse”, said  Deputy Public Prosecutor Randeep Singh. “His conduct throughout investigations and court proceedings demonstrates his total disregard for the law and contempt for all forms of lawful authority,” he said. 

Yan was given “ample opportunity” to cross-examine witnesses, but had chosen not to do so, Mr Singh said.

In sentencing Yan, District Judge Ng Peng Hong said he had taken into account the seriousness of the offences and the lack of mitigating factors. He agreed Yan had shown “blatant disregard for the law”. 

Yan’s sentence will be backdated to July 5, when he was first remanded. If unable to pay the S$20,000 fine, he will have to serve 12 weeks’ jail in default. Yan told the court he intends to appeal against his conviction and sentence.

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