A bankrupt Singapore opposition party leader was sentenced to five weeks in prison or pay a S$5,000 (€2,360) fine for speaking in public without a permit.
Chee Soon Juan, leader of the Singapore Democratic Party, was today found guilty of the offence committed on April 8th, 2006. He has six outstanding charges of speaking in public without a license between November 2005 and April 2006.
Singapore has tough laws on public gatherings, and protests are rare. An assembly of five or more people requires a police permit and offences under the Public Entertainments and Meetings Act could lead to fines as high as S$10,000 .
Mr Chee, who pleaded not guilty on the grounds of his constitutional right to free speech, was made a bankrupt in February 2006 when he failed to pay libel damages of S$500,000 to former prime ministers Lee Kuan Yew and Goh Chok Tong.
The state prosecutor had asked for a "substantial fine" to act as a deterrent for other "like-minded" individuals.
Mr Chee's lawyer said he will be appealing the conviction.
The southeast Asian city defends its strict laws on public assembly citing the need for public order and safety.