PRIME Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his father Lee Kuan Yew have filed defamation suits against the Far Eastern Economic Review, court officials and the magazine's editor said.

The Lees filed the lawsuits in August against editor Hugo Restall and Hong Kong-based Review Publishing, alleging they were defamed in a July article based on an interview with opposition politician Chee Soon Juan.

They are claiming aggravated damages, which are awarded by the courts in cases where the complainants are deemed severely wronged.

Damages are set in Singapore's non-jury system by the judge at the end of the trial.

In similar defamation cases, Singapore leaders have won hundreds of thousands of dollars in compensation from political opponents and publications.

The article entitled "Singapore's 'Martyr,' Chee Soon Juan," describes the Singapore Democratic Party secretary-general's battle against the ruling People's Action Party and its leaders.

In the article, Restall also touched on Singapore officials' success in libel suits against critics.

Restall confirmed to AFP via email that the Lees had filed the lawsuits but declined to comment.

The Lees claimed in the writ seen by AFP Thursday that the article "contained sensational remarks and/or allegations" against them.

"The plaintiff has been gravely injured in his character and reputation, and has been brought into public scandal, odium and contempt," the two separate writs filed by the Lees said.

The FEER magazine has had skirmishes with Singapore's ruling party since 1987 when it was gazetted as a foreign newspaper, thereby restricting its circulation, after the government deemed an article as interfering in domestic politics.

Lee Kuan Yew, who turns 83 on Saturday, served as prime minister for three decades before stepping down in 1990 in favour of his deputy Goh Chok Tong, who in turn gave way in 2004 to Prime Minister Lee, now 54.

Singapore leaders have a history of laying defamation suits against critics and foreign publications, which they say is necessary to protect their reputations from unfounded attacks.

International rights groups, however, argue the use of lawsuits is intended to suppress freedom of expression and silence the city-state's feeble opposition parties.

In January, British news magazine the Economist apologised and paid an unspecified amount in damages to the elder Lee for allegations in an obituary on former president Devan Nair.

Website FinanceAsia.com and US-based news agency Bloomberg have also apologised to the Lee family over articles related to state-linked investment firm Temasek Holdings, which is run by the prime minister's wife Ho Ching.

They also paid damages for the articles.

Paris-based Reporters Without Borders (RSF) last year ranked Singapore 140th out of 167 countries in its annual press freedom index, alongside the likes of Egypt and Syria.

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