A Briton who was jailed in Singapore for refusing to wear a mask and who claimed to be a sovereign citizen who was not subject to the laws of any country will be deported.
The Singapore Penitentiary Service said Benjamin Glynn was released after being sentenced to six weeks in prison and transferred to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority, which will make an “agreement” to remove him from the country. , Channel News Asia reported on Thursday.
“ICA will make arrangements for his deportation,” the spokesman said.
Glynn, 41, was found guilty of four counts in May for failing to wear a mask on a train and in a court appearance in July, according to Reuters. Along with the precautionary violations of COVID-19, the Briton was found guilty of causing public nuisance.
Glynn made his strange defense after his alleged lawyer did not have a license to practice law in the country, according to the Channel News Asia report. He insisted he was not subject to the law, claiming he was a “living man” or sovereign citizen and that he did not consent to be subject to a mask warrant, the media reported.
An unidentified woman who attended Glynn’s court hearing on Wednesday interrupted him and a judge told him to leave the courtroom, according to Channel News Asia. Before she was escorted, she would have taken a fight against the “ridiculous kangaroo court.”
A state court spokesman told Chanel News Asia in a statement that referred the matter to police.
“Trials and hearings held in an open court are open to the public,” the spokesman said. “However, attendees must at all times respect the etiquette and decorum of the courts.”
“They must act appropriately, show the court the proper respect and follow the judge’s instructions,” the statement continued. “Anyone who misbehaves, interrupts court proceedings or violates the judge’s instructions or court rules may have to leave the courtroom. In appropriate cases, the offender may also be reported to the police.”
It is not the first time a foreign citizen has been punished for failing to take precautions against COVID-19. A Singapore court in February sentenced a Briton to two weeks in prison after violating the required quarantine on leaving a hotel to meet his promise, according to Reuters.