SingaporeThree Singaporean women, including one of Indian origin, will contest charges against them in connection with a pro-Palestinian procession to the Istana, Singapore’s presidential palace, during their trial. The trio were charged in June under the Public Order Act for organising a procession without a permit on February 2, a media outlet reported on Wednesday.
Annamalai Kokila Parvathi is accused of abetting the conspiracy by collaborating with two other women and other unknown individuals to organise the procession. Annamalai, 36, has been charged with one count of inciting to organise a public procession in a prohibited area, while Siti Amirah Mohamed Asrori, 29, and Mossammad Sobikun Nahar, 25, are accused of organising the procession which took place between 2pm and 3pm along the perimeter of the Istana, Channel News Asia reported.
Police said in an earlier statement that around 70 people gathered along Orchard Road outside a shopping mall at around 2pm on February 2 and walked towards Istana.
Why is Singapore’s Presidential Palace accusing her?
They carried umbrellas painted with images of watermelons in support of the Palestinian cause amid the war between Israel and Hamas. The colors of the watermelon are the same as those of the Palestinian flag and the fruit has come to symbolize solidarity with Palestine.
The trio appeared together in State Court on Wednesday morning.
Asked by the judge what their position was on the case, their lawyer said: “All of the defendants are contesting the charges. Basically, they are all asking to be tried.” The cases were adjourned until October for pre-trial hearings. If convicted, each of the women could be jailed for up to six months, fined up to S$10,000, or both.
Police have urged people “not to engage in activities that harm the peace, public order and social harmony that Singaporeans have worked hard to achieve.” “We understand that some people may have very strong feelings about the Israel-Hamas conflict, but they should not break the law to express their opinions or emulate protesters in other countries,” police said in June, according to the Channel. “Instead, they could participate in the numerous forums and dialogues and donation drives that have been appropriately organised on the issue,” police said.
(With contributions from the agency)
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