Chicago judge grants asylum to teen blogger who was jailed by Singapore

Yee had been as jailed in Singapore after he criticised its government; Singapore has criticised the asylum grant

AGAINST THE WISHES OF US GOVT

A BLOGGER from Singapore who was jailed for his online posts blasting his government was granted asylum to remain in the United States, an immigration judge ruled. Amos Yee, 18, has been detained by federal immigration authorities since December when he was taken into custody at Chicago’s O’hare International Airport. Attorneys said he could be released from a Wisconsin detention centre as early as Monday.

Judge Samuel Cole issued a 13-page decision Friday, more than two weeks after Yee’s closed-door hearing on the asylum application.

“Yee has met his burden of showing that he suffered past persecution on account of his political opinion and has a wellfounded fear of future persecution in Singapore,” Cole wrote.

Yee left Singapore with the intention of seeking asylum in the US after being jailed for several weeks in 2015 and 2016.

He was accused of hurting the religious feelings of Muslims and Christians in the multiethnic city-state. Yee is an atheist.

Many of his blog and social media posts criticised Singapore’s leaders. He created controversy in 2015 when he posted an expletive-laden video about Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew just after his death.

Singapore’s government criticised the decision. “Yee had engaged in hate speech against Christians and Muslims. The US adopts a different standard, and allows such hate speech under the rubric of freedom of speech,” the Ministry of Home Affairs said.

Department of Homeland Security attorneys had opposed the asylum bid, saying Yee’s case didn’t qualify as persecution based on political beliefs. AP

AP Amos Yee.