'Regret' that Ai Takagi given custodial sentence: Australia

Australia is aware of the 10 months' jail term imposed on Australian national Ai Takagi, who was the former editor of the now-defunct socio-political blog The Real Singapore (TRS), a spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said on Thursday (Mar 24).

Takagi had pleaded guilty to four counts of sedition for publishing doctored and "patently false" material on the site for profit. 

She and her husband Yang Kaiheng, 27, who has also been charged, earned sums of between A$18,718.85 to A$53,543.94 a month, the prosecution said. From December 2013 to April 2015, the couple saw a total of A$474,594.56 in advertising revenue.

In response to the sentencing, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesperson said: "We regret that Takagi was given a custodial sentence, given that she is young, pregnant and had issued an apology.

"The Australian High Commission in Singapore will continue to provide her with all appropriate consular assistance, in line with the Consular Services Charter, in monitoring her welfare.”

The 23-year-old, who is eight weeks pregnant, had issued a public apology on Wednesday: “I love Singapore and hope to call it my home permanently. I was not fully aware of the level of sensitivity needed when dealing with topics related to racial and religious issues in Singapore.”