Indian-Origin Activist Charged in Singapore for Defying Online Correction Order

An Indian-origin anti-death penalty activist, Kokila Annamalai , has been formally charged in a Singapore court for allegedly failing to comply with a correction direction issued under the country’s online misinformation law.

The charge was brought on April 23, 2026 , marking the start of court proceedings. It relates to social media posts made on Facebook and X in October 2024 , where Annamalai commented on the case of death row inmate Mohammad Azwan Bohari and criticised aspects of Singapore’s death penalty and drug trafficking laws .

Authorities said the posts claimed that the government “schedules and stays executions arbitrarily” and that the state does not bear the legal burden of proving drug trafficking charges. A correction direction was issued on October 5, 2024 under the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA) , requiring her to publish correction notices alongside the posts.

Prosecutors allege she failed to comply without reasonable excuse , an offence under Section 15(1)(a) of the Act. If convicted, she faces up to 12 months’ imprisonment, a fine of up to SGD 20,000, or both .

Court documents list her full name as Annamalai Kokila Parvathi . The case has been scheduled for a pre-trial conference in May 2026 .

Media reports also note that Annamalai had previously been acquitted in October 2025 in a separate case involving an alleged pro-Palestinian procession near the Istana (Presidential Palace) .

Authorities maintain the correction system is intended to ensure transparency in online information, while critics argue that the law raises concerns over freedom of expression and state control of speech .

The present case is among the rare prosecutions under Singapore’s POFMA framework since its introduction in 2019.