UK writer freed from Singapore jail
Alan Shadrake, 76, was sentenced to six weeks in jail and fined $20,000 (10,000) for scandalising the judiciary in his book Once A Jolly Hangman: Singapore Justice System In The Dock about the use of the death penalty.
Shadrake could not pay the fine, which increased his jail sentence to eight weeks, but M Ravi, who represented Shadrake in court, said the author was released early due to good behaviour.
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Hide Ad"He is on a plane going to London," said Ravi, adding that Shadrake had been treated at the prison hospital for a slipped disc.
Singapore, an island nation of 5.1 million people, imposes the death penalty for crimes such as murder and has a mandatory death sentence for drug trafficking. It boasts one of the lowest crime rates in the world.
The south-east Asian city state has, however, been criticised for its harsh laws and use of lawsuits against critics.