3 women charged over pro-Palestinian procession to Istana to contest case at trial

SINGAPORE: Three women who were charged over a pro-Palestinian procession to the Istana will be contesting their charges at trial, a court heard on Wednesday (Sep 18).
The three Singaporean women were charged in June under the Public Order Act over the organisation of a procession without a permit on Feb 2.
Siti Amirah Mohamed Asrori, 29, and Mossammad Sobikun Nahar, 25, are accused of organising the procession that took place between 2pm and 3pm along the perimeter of the Istana, which is a prohibited area.
The third woman, 36-year-old Annamalai Kokila Parvathi, is accused of abetting the conspiracy by engaging with Siti and Mossammad, along with Alysha Mohamed Rahmat Shah, Anystashe Mohamed Rahmat Shah and other unknown individuals to organise the procession.
The police said in a previous statement that a group of about 70 people assembled along Orchard Road outside a mall at about 2pm on Feb 2 and walked towards the Istana.
They carried umbrellas painted with watermelon images in support of the Palestinian cause amid the Israel-Hamas war.
The watermelon colours are the same as those on the Palestinian flag and the fruit has become a symbol of Palestinian solidarity.
The trio turned up together at the State Courts on Wednesday morning.
When the judge asked for their position on the case, their lawyer said: “The accused persons are all disputing the charges. Essentially, they are all claiming trial.”
The cases were adjourned to October for pre-trial conferences.
If convicted of organising a prohibited procession under the Public Order Act or abetting such an act, each woman may be jailed for up to six months, fined up to S$10,000, or both.
The police have urged the public “not to engage in activities that will damage the peace, public order and social harmony which Singaporeans have worked hard to achieve”. 
“We understand that some people may feel strongly about the Israel-Hamas conflict, but they should not break the law to express their views, nor emulate the protestors in other countries,” the police said in June.
“They could instead participate in the many forums and dialogues, and donation drives, which have been appropriately organised on the issue.”