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British journalist Alan Shadrake has been handed a prison sentence and fined thousands of dollars after being found guilty of contempt by a Singapore court.

According to national reports this morning, the High Court sentenced Shadrake to six weeks in jail and fined him 20,000 Singapore dollars for promoting his book about the country's use of the death penalty, Once A Jolly Hangman: Singapore Justice In The Dock. According to a report by AFP Shadrake had offered a qualified apology during last week's hearing, but this was dismissed by the judge Quentin Loh as "nothing more than a tactical ploy in court to obtain a reduced sentence".

The sentence drew criticism this morning from the chief executive of freedom of expression organisation Index on Censorship, John Kampfner.

"Alan Shadrake's sentence once again shows Singapore's desperate difficulties in dealing with criticism and free expression," he said in a statement.

"The conviction of Alan Shadrake for what would have been deemed in many countries to constitute fair comment is another example of Singapore's very poor record on free expression. If, as it says it does, the Singapore government seeks to loosen up culturally, it needs to understand that criticism of authority is part of the democratic discourse."

It is not yet known if Shadrake, who reportedly also faces trial on criminal defamation charges, will appeal against his sentence.

The writer, who was based in Malaysia, was arrested in July when he visited Singapore to launch his new book. His arrest sparked an international petition from press freedom group Reporters Without Borders calling for his release.

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Written by
Rachel Bartlett

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