Singaporean blogger sentenced to jail time already served

Singapore, July 6

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A Singapore teenager who posted a video online deemed offensive to Christians and an obscene image of late leader Lee Kuan Yew will be released after the court sentenced him on Monday to jail time already served.

A court sentenced Amos Yee, 16, to four weeks of imprisonment from June 2, which means he could be released immediately after spending 50 days in remand.

Yee’s lawyer said the teenager would appeal against both the conviction and sentence.

Yee posted a video in late March with unflattering references to Jesus shortly after Lee, Singapore’s first prime minister, died. He also put on his blog a lewd image in which the faces of Lee and late British politician Margaret Thatcher were superimposed.

Yee was charged with spreading obscene images, offending a religious group and harassment. The latter charge was dropped.

The case has reignited concerns about censorship and social controls in the Southeast Asia’s financial hub and has drawn criticism from human rights activists.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong took the stand in court for nearly seven hours on Wednesday, answering questions from a blogger he has successfully sued for defamation as the court tried to decide how much he should be paid in damages. — Reuters