A U.S. immigration judge in Chicago on Friday granted asylum to a Singaporean blogger, saying he was persecuted for his political opinions in the Southeast Asian city-state.
Amos Yee, 18, who had been jailed twice in Singapore, qualifies as a political refugee, according to a 13-page opinion by the U.S. immigration judge.
Yee is immediately eligible for release after having been held in U.S. immigration detention since Dec. 16, 2016, according to his attorney, Sandra Grossman, who is based in Bethesda, Maryland.
The Singapore Embassy in Washington could not be reached for comment after business hours on Friday evening.
Judge Samuel Cole ruled Yee's prosecution, detention and maltreatment at the hands of the Singapore authorities "constitute(s) persecution on account of Yee's political opinions," and called him a "young political dissident.
"The evidence presented at the hearing demonstrates Singapore's prosecution of Yee was a pretext to silence his political opinions critical of the Singapore government," Cole wrote.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security had opposed Yee's asylum application, claiming the Singapore government legitimately prosecuted Yee.
Grossman said the judge's decision supported the right of individuals to criticise their government.
"The right to free speech is sacred, even when such speech is considered offensive," she said in an email. "The decision timely underscores the vital need for an independent judiciary in a functioning democracy."
Yee had been held by U.S. authorities since arriving at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, seeking political asylum. He was initially detained in Illinois, but is now being held at the Dodge County Detention Facility in Juneau, Wisconsin, Grossman said.
Yee has been jailed twice in Singapore for online comments. His trials, which have been closely watched by rights groups and the United Nations, have fuelled the debate in Singapore over censorship, the limits of free speech and political correctness.
In September of last year, Yee pleaded guilty to six charges of deliberately posting comments on the internet - in videos, blog posts and a picture - that were critical of Christianity and Islam. He was sentenced to six weeks in jail.
In 2015, Yee was convicted on charges of harassment and insulting a religious group over comments he made about former premier Lee Kuan Yew and Christians soon after Lee's death. His sentence at the time amounted to four weeks in jail.
Reuters
Sat Mar 25 2017
Teen blogger Amos Yee arrives at the State Courts in Singapore September 28, 2016. REUTERS/Edgar Su/File Photo
TH diarah siasat 300 jemaah haji terkandas di Mekah - Mohd Na'im
Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri (Hal Ehwal Agama) Datuk Dr Mohd Na’im Mokhtar berkata Lembaga Tabung Haji (TH) telah diarah untuk menyiasat insiden 300 bakal jemaah terkandas di Mekah akibat terpedaya dengan pakej haji murah yang ditawarkan agensi pelancongan tidak bertanggungjawab.
Golongan muda paling ramai sertai program
Golongan muda antara yang paling ramai menyertai Majlis Tilawah dan Hafazan al-Quran Peringkat Kebangsaan kali ini, yang akan berlangsung selama enam hari bermula 23 Mei di Kompleks Penyiaran Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah di Kuantan.
Hayati perjuangan, jangan alpa kuasa dimiliki - Anwar
Presiden PKR Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim mengingatkan semua ahli terutama generasi muda supaya menghayati perjuangan parti dan tidak alpa dengan ‘kuasa’ yang dimiliki apabila menjadi pemerintah.
10 Berita Pilihan - (11 Mei 2024)
Antara pelbagai berita dalam dan luar negara yang disiarkan di Astro AWANI, berikut adalah yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari ini.
Berita tempatan pilihan sepanjang hari ini
Berikut adalah berita yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang Sabtu, 11 Mei 2024.
Tumpuan Ahad - 12 Mei 2024
Ikuti rangkuman berita utama yang menjadi tumpuan di Astro AWANI.
Berita antarabangsa pilihan sepanjang hari ini
Antara pelbagai berita luar negara yang disiarkan di Astro AWANI, berikut adalah yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari ini.
Malaysia dipilih semula sebagai Ahli Majlis Eksekutif Pertubuhan Larangan Senjata Kimia 2024-2026
Penggal berkenaan akan bermula daripada 12 Mei 2024 sehingga 11 Mei 2026.
Lawatan Anwar perkukuh hubungan dua hala Malaysia-Qatar
Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim akan melakukan lawatan rasmi ke Qatar dari 12 hingga 14 Mei untuk mengukuhkan lagi hubungan dan kerjasama di antara Malaysia dan Qatar di dalam pelbagai aspek, kata Kementerian Luar (Wisma Putra).
Guru didakwa kasari murid ditempatkan di pejabat pendidikan daerah
Seorang guru lelaki di sebuah sekolah agama di Pontian yang didakwa melakukan kekasaran terhadap sekumpulan murid akan ditempatkan di Pejabat Pendidikan Islam daerah.
Ibu bapa enggan bayar ikat jamin, Amos Yee ditahan reman satu malam
YouTuber terkenal Singapura Amos Yee ditahan reman satu malam, selepas ibu bapanya enggan membayar ikat jamin untuk beliau.