Perpetually detained Singaporean teenager Amos Yee is still detained in the United States despite being granted asylum two weeks ago.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) and PEN America have asked the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials to release supposedly free man Amos Yee immediately.

In a press release today, HRW said that Yee was granted asylum by a US immigration judge on March 24 but remains in ICE custody.

Yee, 18, has been detained since his arrival since Dec. 16 last year.

Karin Karlekar, director of Free Expression at Risk Programs at PEN America, said,

"The continued detention of Amos Yee is disgraceful because it undermines the very principles of due process, fairness, and freedom of speech that he sought in escaping Singapore...Yee has faced unnecessary emotional and mental harm as a result of his unjust detention. We support his renewed request to be released following his successful asylum claim."

The two organisations said that the US government has not provided grounds consistent with international law for detaining Yee, adding that international human rights law articulates a strong presumption against the detention of refugees.

Yee’s legal team is exploring options to secure his release, while the Department of Homeland Security has 30 days to file an appeal of the judge’s asylum decision.

Yee had previously expressed his fear of returning to Singapore, which is still possible, in the event his asylum bid ultimately fails.

Related articles:

Trump supporters welcome Amos Yee with open arms, finds out what he said, doesn’t want him anymore

Amos Yee won’t be serving NS anytime soon after his successful US political asylum bid

2-time convicted hate speech propagator Amos Yee shown the path to the US

Amos Yee gets his wish to stay in US after successful asylum bid

Amos Yee said he is scared of returning to S’pore if US asylum bid fails

If you like what you read, follow us on Facebook and Twitter to get the latest updates.