Singapore Blogger Amos Yee Prison Abuse Claims to be Investigated

Singapore prison authorities said that investigations are being launched into allegations that jailed teenage blogger Amos Yee has been assaulted by prison inmates.

Yee began a six-week jail term on Sept. 29 after he pleaded guilty to six charges of wounding the religious feelings of Muslims and Christians, through comments made on social media.

But on Wednesday a Facebook post from the activist group Community Action Network (CAN) said that the group had been informed that Yee had been threatened, slapped and kicked by inmates.

In a statement to DPA, the Singapore Prisons Service confirmed they were “aware” of the allegations made by Amos Yee, emphasizing that the prison is committed to inmate safety and security.

“We have engaged Yee’s family and are currently conducting investigations to ascertain the veracity of the allegations,” a spokesperson said.

Yee’s mother Mary Toh told DPA that she has filed a request to prison authorities for her son to be transferred to home detention.

The 17-year-old blogger first made headlines in March 2015 when he was arrested after publishing a rant on YouTube criticizing both Christianity and Singapore’s first prime minister, Lee Kuan Yew, shortly after his death.

The News Lens has been authorized to repost this article. The piece was first published on Malaysiakini.

Edited by: Edward White