Mr M Ravi (left), Kirsten Han (right)

SINGAPORE — Anti-death penalty and human rights lawyer, M Ravi is facing yet another round of police investigations over potential offences of Criminal Defamation and Contempt of Court by Facebook posts he made in April and May this year.

This was shared by freelance journalist and anti-death penalty activist Kirsten Han on her Facebook page. There she posted a screenshot of the police letter issued to Mr Ravi where it is stated that the police is conducting investigations upon him in regard to potential offences of Criminal Defamation under Section 499 of the Penal Code 1871 and Contempt of Court under Section 3(1)(a) of the Administration of Justice Act 2016, in relation to posts made in Mr Ravi’s Facebook page dated 20 April, 25 April and 5 May this year.

Mr Ravi has been ordered by the Police to turn up at the Police Cantonment Complex for an interview on 22 October at 9 am.

On top of this new investigation, Mr M Ravi is facing at least seven other investigations that have yet to be concluded and has had various disciplinary tribunals (DTs) held against him over the past couple of years.

The most recent DT to be convened against Mr M Ravi by the Singapore Law Society over the appeal by Mr Nagaenthran a/l Dharmalingam for leave to commence judicial review proceedings in respect of his impending execution and criminal motion for him to be assessed by an independent panel of psychiatrists and for a stay of execution of his sentence.

Nagaenthran who was assessed by a medical expert to have an IQ of 69, had subsequently lost his appeals and was killed by hanging at the Singapore Prisons on 10 November last year after spending 11 years on death row.

Arguing at a recent hearing on two contempt of court charges against him on 10 Oct, Mr Ravi told Justice Hoo Sheau Peng that both judges whom he has been accused of being in contempt of, have already filed disciplinary proceedings against him and he has been suspended from legal practice.

He told the court that since being confirmed to have suffered a relapse of his bipolar disorder in December 2021, the Attorney General had commenced five disciplinary proceedings against him.

Mr Ravi said that he had been stressed out throughout the months of his medical leave from December 2021 to May 2022, and he was not able to rest and recover from his illness. He said there were “enough ongoing proceedings against me.” Further, nothing that the allegation of bias was a fair comment.

Police orders journalist to turn up for interview without clarification

In a separate post, Ms Han shared that she has also been summoned by the Police for an interview over a Facebook post that she published on 10 May this year.

She is instructed to turn up at the Ang Mo Kio Division Headquarters on 21 October at 11am.

However, she shared that the Police has yet to confirm if she is being investigated for any offence.

Ms Han was earlier called to an interview at Bedok Police Station on 24 June this year for allegedly participating in two ‘illegal assemblies’ outside Changi Prison earlier this year: once when she sat there with a few others the night before the execution of Abdul Kahar bin Othman, and another time when she and others took photos with the sign “END OPPRESSION, NOT LIFE”’ two nights before Nagaenthran was hanged.

Police powers often go unchallenged and unchecked, says Singapore NGO

Another anti-death penalty activist, Rocky Howe was also investigated for the two assemblies in which Ms Han was involved, has filed an application to the Singapore court on 24 September to seek, among other things, a declaration that the police had abused its powers in investigating him for participating in a purported ‘illegal procession’.

TJC, a Singapore Non-Government Organisation, said in a statement that police overreach and harassment of activists and critics of the government are longstanding issues in Singapore, noting that it has intensified in recent years, with the expansion of police powers to search and seize, and a growing arsenal of legislation like POFMA (Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act) and FICA (Foreign Interference Countermeasures Act) that can be used to police and punish almost any activity or association the government deems a threat.

TJC also point out how police powers often go unchallenged and unchecked. The Internal Affairs Office, which supposedly investigates police misconduct, is not an independent body, lacks accountability, and operates as a department in the Singapore Police Force.

It noted that Rocky’s court application is a necessary act of resistance in an authoritarian regime that thrives on obedience and compliance of the people.