Two-day hearing for Amos Yee’s case concludes; verdict to be announced on May 12

The two-hour hearing for Amos Yee ended this afternoon, and the verdict on his criminal case will be issued on Tuesday, May 12, TODAY reports. 

Over 50 people had been lining up outside the courtroom in the afternoon to attend the hearing, according to various reports. 

Concerning Yee’s charge of uploading and disseminating an obscene image, the defence argued that the threshold is high for the test of obscenity, and in Yee’s case — in which he uploaded a graphic caricature of Singapore’s former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew and the late British prime minister Margaret Thatcher — it has not been crossed.

The prosecution however argued that the image depicts gratuitous sexual activity, and is accessible to all, and that it was clear that Amos had intended for the image to reach the general public. 

Regarding Yee’s second charge of intending to wound the religious feelings of Christians, the prosecution argued that there was deliberate intent on his part, as he had spent a few days conceptualising the now infamous anti-Lee Kuan Yew video. In retaliation, the defence fought that Yee’s primary intention was to critique Lee — he did not set out to insult the religious feelings of Christians. 

State Courts judge Jasvender Kaur also allowed the defence to tender another statement Yee had given the police. The prosecution had initially objected to them submitting evidence of Yee stated, as they argued that it could be taken out of context. 

Photo: Roy Ngerng Facebook page