Man pleads guilty to threatening, inciting violence against judge who dismissed Section 377A challenges

Muhammad Hanif Mohamed Huzairi posted an Instagram Story saying, "To the deadass boomer of a judge who dismissed the challenges against S377A, you better... watch out!!" PHOTO: UNSPLASH

SINGAPORE - A man threatened a High Court judge and the Singapore judiciary after challenges against Section 377A - that criminalises sex between men - were dismissed in March last year.

He also admitted to inciting violence against them on Instagram.

On Monday (March 22), Muhammad Hanif Mohamed Huzairi, 31, pleaded guilty to one count of using threatening words towards a public servant under the Protection from Harassment Act, and two counts of communicating an electronic record containing an incitement to violence.

He had directed his posts at Justice See Kee Oon, who had dismissed the challenges seeking to overturn the legal provision against male homosexual acts in Section 377A of the Penal Code.

He is set to be sentenced on April 22.

Court documents stated that when Hanif found out that the constitutional challenges were dismissed, he was very upset and felt that the judges had to be replaced.

He expressed his displeasure by posting Instagram Stories and commenting on Pink Dot SG's Instagram post.

On March 30 last year at 4.02pm, Hanif posted an Instagram Story on his account, which is public, saying: "To the deadass boomer of a judge who dismissed the challenges against S377A, you better... watch out!!"

Instagram Stories remain on a user's profile for 24 hours. Hanif's Instagram account had 267 followers at the time of his offences.

Three hours later, he posted a comment on Pink Dot SG's Instagram post saying: "Time to hunt down the oppressive judges, who basically maintained the legalisation of discrimination against us, and make them pay the ultimate price."

A second Instagram story post about half an hour later called for the torture of the "corrupted judges" until they "crumble and repeal S377A on the spot".

A complainant had lodged a police report against Hanif that day at around 11.30pm after seeing the threats of violence.

The Section 377A legal challenges were filed by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights activist and retired medical professional Roy Tan, disc jockey Johnson Ong Ming and former executive director of LGBT non-profit organisation Oogachaga Bryan Choong.

Justice See dismissed them, rejecting arguments that the law is unconstitutional and defending the decision not to proactively enforce it.

Those convicted of using threatening words towards a public servant can be jailed up to a year and fined.

Those convicted of communicating an electronic record containing an incitement to violence can be failed up to five years and fined.

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