Browne expressed his dismay and called on Singapore 'to recognize the right to freedom of expression' after Alan Shadrake, 76, was sentenced Tuesday to six weeks in jail and fined 20,000 Singapore dollars (15,400 US dollars) for contempt of court.
Singapore's Foreign Ministry said it was 'surprised that a British minister has commented on the matter, which is not about freedom of expression or Singapore-UK relations, but about the integrity of Singapore's judicial system.'
Browne said Britain places 'considerable value on our relations with Singapore,' adding that 'human rights form an inherent part of our ongoing dialogue and engagement.''The British government should understand that Singapore has the right to enforce its own laws to protect the reputation of our judiciary and judicial system as well as other key public institutions,' it said.
Shadrake in his book Once a Jolly Hangman: Singapore Justice in the Dock accused the city-state's courts of succumbing to political influence and of favouring the rich over the poor.
The judge, however, said Shadrake insulted Singapore's judiciary and imposed the stiffest sentence ever handed down for the offence in the city-state.
Shadrake's lawyer, M Ravi, said Thursday that the writer was filing an appeal to overturn his conviction and his sentence, calling Browne's comments 'encouraging.'
Ravi earlier said he would ask the British House of Commons and the European Union to intervene.
