I want to share some news from my criminal trial, because many of you have followed this case since my arrest in January 2022, and many of you have paid for my defence.
What happened in court on 10 September
At the hearing on 10 September 2026, the prosecution told the court that it intends to close its case despite not calling three more patient witnesses who have not yet taken the stand.
The prosecution indicated that it will stand down two of the seven charges being tried against me, and it has amended three others. The amended charges no longer name the patients concerned as parties to the alleged conspiracy. These charges relate to 3 patient witnesses who have already testified.
When the question of how the two charges would be dealt with came up, I told the court that I would not accept anything less than a discharge amounting to an acquittal.
Where things stand
I face 14 charges in total, and I have pleaded not guilty to every one. The full wording of each charge is in my earlier post, Iris Koh’s Criminal Trials in detail.
The seven charges on trial now
Each of these alleges that I was party to a conspiracy to make false representations to the Health Promotion Board that a person had been vaccinated against COVID-19 when they had not.
| Charge | Period alleged | Status after 10 September 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 3rd | 14 January 2022 | On trial |
| 4th | 20 October 2021 | Amended: the patient is no longer named as a party to the alleged conspiracy |
| 5th | November to December 2021 | To be stood down, as indicated by the prosecution |
| 6th | October to November 2021 | Amended: the patient is no longer named as a party to the alleged conspiracy |
| 8th | October to November 2021 | On trial |
| 9th | October to November 2021 | Amended: the patient is no longer named as a party to the alleged conspiracy |
| 10th | November 2021 | To be stood down, as indicated by the prosecution |
That leaves five charges at this trial, three of them amended.
The seven charges to be tried later
These have not yet come to trial.
| Charge | What it alleges |
|---|---|
| 2nd | Obstructing a police officer on 25 January 2022, by refusing to sign and tearing up a printed copy of a statement recorded from me |
| 7th | Abetting the fabrication of false evidence on 5 November 2021 |
| 11th and 12th | Abetting the obstruction of public servants at MOH and MSF, through Telegram messages on 11 October 2021 encouraging members to call the MOH and MSF hotlines |
| 13th and 14th | Abetting harassment under the Protection from Harassment Act, through Telegram messages on 27 December 2021 advising parents to question doctors at vaccination centres about vaccine safety |
| 15th | Organising a public assembly without a police permit under the Public Order Act, on 25 November 2021 near Bedok Police Division Headquarters. The charge alleges that I publicised a cause, described as resisting the Government’s COVID-19 vaccination programme, by handing out T-shirts printed with “United We Stand for Choice – Healing the Divide” to members of Healing the Divide, encouraging them to wear them, and taking photographs with them. |
The trial has now sat for 51 days in court.
The wider trial
This is a joint trial. I am tried alongside Dr Jipson Quah and Mr Thomas Chua. As I explained in my video, Dr Quah faces 17 charges involving 17 patients: seven of them are the charges I face with him, seven are charges Mr Chua faces with him, and three are his alone.
How we got here
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| 21 January 2022 | I was arrested and held in remand for 15 days for investigations. |
| 23 January 2022 | I was charged with the first charge, a conspiracy charge relating to Certificates of Vaccination from the Ministry of Health. |
| February 2022 to May 2024 | Further charges followed, bringing the total to 14. |
| 9 May 2024 | The first charge was dropped before trial. |
| 13 December 2024 | Three days before trial, I received amended charges. They now referred to the Health Promotion Board and the National Immunisation Registry, instead of the Ministry of Health. |
| 16 December 2024 | The trial opened. |
| February 2025 | The lead prosecutor, DPP Timotheus Koh, stepped aside for personal reasons. DPP Kelvin Chong took over as lead. |
| Mid-2026 | DPP Timotheus Koh returned as lead prosecutor. DPP Kelvin Chong left this case. |
| 10 September 2026 | The prosecution indicated it will stand down two charges, and it has amended three. |
| 29 October 2026 | Next hearing. My defence will tell the court whether we object to the amendments. |
What these legal terms mean
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| Stood down | The prosecution does not proceed with a charge at this trial. It is not the same as an acquittal. |
| Discharge not amounting to an acquittal | The accused is released from the charge for now, but the prosecution can bring it back later. |
| Discharge amounting to an acquittal | The accused is cleared of the charge for good. It cannot be brought back. |
| Amended charge | The prosecution changes the wording or particulars of a charge. The defence can object. |
| No case to answer | After the prosecution closes its case, the defence can argue that the evidence is not enough to call on the accused to answer a charge. If the court agrees, the accused is acquitted of that charge. |
What happens next
On 29 October 2026, my defence will inform the court whether we object to the amendments.
Once the prosecution closes its case, the defence may make a submission of no case to answer. If the court accepts that submission on a charge, the accused is acquitted of that charge. If it does not, the defence is called to give its evidence.
I intend to defend every remaining charge, and I am seeking a full acquittal. Because the trial is ongoing, I will not comment on the evidence or the witnesses.
Thank you
When I was arrested, you sent messages, prayers and letters. My team gathered 82 pages of them, and I have kept every one. Four and a half years later, you are still here.
Standing up in court has cost more than S$200,000 over five years, and most of it came from you. If you are able to, please help me see this through.
- Support my legal defence: healingthedivide.cc/support
- Share this update with someone who has followed my case.
Iris Koh
Founder, Healing the Divide
Healing the Divide · 5 years
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