The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) and CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation have issued a joint statement urging Singapore to drop all charges against human rights defender Jolovan Wham.
The five charges, related to Wham’s participation in peaceful gatherings, highlight ongoing concerns over the country’s restrictive stance on civic freedoms.
According to FORUM-ASIA and CIVICUS, the charges against Wham reflect a pattern of judicial harassment aimed at suppressing dissent.
“These recent charges against Jolovan Wham demonstrate how Singapore maintains a restrictive environment against activists. This is a clear example of judicial harassment made in retaliation for exercising the right to protest and freedoms of expression and peaceful assembly,” said Mary Aileen Diez-Bacalso, Executive Director of FORUM-ASIA.
Josef Benedict, Asia Pacific researcher at CIVICUS, linked the charges to broader issues under the current administration. “The charges against Wham are part of a broader crackdown against civic freedoms under Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. The persistent use of restrictive laws—including the Public Order Act—to prosecute human rights defenders shows that nothing has changed under this new administration,” he added.
Judicial harassment and past incidents
On 3 February 2025, Wham appeared in court, facing five charges under the Public Order Act for allegedly participating in public vigils without a permit between March 2022 and April 2023.
The vigils commemorated the executions of four death row prisoners convicted of drug trafficking. Wham is scheduled to return to court on 1 April 2025.
FORUM-ASIA and CIVICUS noted that Wham has been targeted repeatedly for his peaceful activism. In 2017, he was fined SGD8,000 (approximately USD5,900) for organising a silent protest on the MRT during the 30th anniversary of Operation Spectrum, when activists were arbitrarily arrested under the Internal Security Act.
In 2018, he was charged with contempt of court after criticising Singapore’s judiciary and was later convicted for organising a conference on civil disobedience without a permit. That same year, he refused to sign a police statement related to the event, resulting in further penalties.
In November 2020, Wham was charged under the Public Order Act for holding a sign with a smiley face in support of climate activists. Another charge related to his 2018 protest calling for authorities to drop criminal defamation charges against journalists Terry Xu and Daniel De Costa.
In February 2022, he was fined S$3,000 (approximately US$2,200) for displaying a sign outside the State Courts in 2018. He chose to serve a 15-day jail sentence rather than pay the fine.
The Public Order Act and international standards
The Public Order Act requires police permits for any public assembly. Authorities have broad discretion to deny permits, particularly for events involving foreign nationals or politically sensitive topics—despite Article 14 of the Singapore Constitution, which guarantees the freedom of assembly.
The law’s wide definition of “assembly” increases the likelihood of prosecution for gatherings that do not meet permit requirements.
International human rights standards, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, protect the right to peaceful assembly.
The UN Human Rights Committee’s 2020 general comment emphasised that advance notification should be required only to facilitate assembly, not to restrict it. Failure to notify authorities should not result in criminal charges, the Committee noted.
However, the extensive restrictions under the Public Order Act raise concerns about its compatibility with these international standards.
CIVICUS Monitor downgraded Singapore’s civic space rating from “obstructed” in 2021 to “repressed” in 2024 due to laws like the Public Order Act, the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA), and the Foreign Interference Countermeasure Act (FICA).
These laws have been used to restrict protests, freedom of expression, and press freedom.
Call for immediate action
FORUM-ASIA and CIVICUS have urged the Singaporean government to drop all charges against Wham and end the judicial harassment of human rights defenders.
“The government must uphold the right to peaceful assembly and ensure a safe environment for activists to operate without fear of reprisal,” the statement read.
They also called on the international community to monitor Wham’s case closely to ensure justice. “Defenders like Wham must be allowed to continue their critical work without facing judicial harassment or other forms of intimidation,” the groups stated.
As the 1 April 2025 court date approaches, attention remains on Singapore’s handling of civic freedoms and its adherence to international human rights obligations.
