Democracy activists gain rare court victory

       A group of Singaporean pro-democracy activists won a rare legal victory after being acquitted of involvement in an illegal march two years ago,according to court documents obtained yesterday
       Public prosecutors had charged the five activists with "participating in a procession without a valid permit" but District Judge John Ng ruled that there was no evidence to support the government's case.
       The activists were charged after walking together wearing T-shirts with the words "Democracy Now" and "Freedom Now" in order to circumvent laws against public assemblies of more than four people, part of the strict political controls in Singapore.
       Meanwhile, Singapore's highest court yesterday ruled that a soon-to-be-defunct regional magazine and its editor had defamed the country's founder Lee Kuan Yew and his son Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
       The three-member Court of Appeal rejected an attempt by the publishers of the Far Eastern Economic Review and its editor, Hugo Restall, to have their conviction by a High Court judge in September 2008 overturned.
       Damages to be awarded to the Lees are to be set at a later date. Decisions by the Court of Appeal are final.