Teenage blogger Amos Yee is due to appear in court today following two weeks at the Institute of Mental Health after a judge had ordered psychiatric tests before he was sentenced.
Yee was convicted in May on two criminal charges: wounding religious feelings in an expletive-laden video comparing Lee Kuan Yew to Jesus, and circulating an obscene cartoon of the former prime minister, who died in March.
A psychiatrist previously said that Yee may have autism, though he was declared mentally and physically fit for an 18-month stint in a reform centre.
Prominent Singaporean intellectuals, artists and activists Saturday criticised the government’s “harsh” treatment.
In an open letter to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, the former leader’s son, the 77 signatories said they were “aware of the negative aspects” of 16-year-old Amos Yee’s pronouncements in a YouTube video and on his blog.
“Nonetheless, we are troubled by the State’s harsh reactions to them, including the prosecution’s request for reformative training lasting at least 18 months,” said the letter, which was also sent to the attorney general, education and interior ministers.
Text: AFP
Photo: Facebook
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