Monday, November 24, 2008

PR's Irene acquitted - next a PR Migrant-Refugee Policy

Good news indeed that the High Court has allowed Irene Fernandez's appeal against conviction and sentence. She is now free.

Irene is also in the Supreme Council of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) and has been since the party's inception about 10 years ago.

PKR, together with the DAP and the PAS are known as the Pakatan Rakyat - and they now govern 5 States in the Peninsular..

I am certain that these 5 PR States can come with with a Migrant-Refugee Policy, Guidelines and Practice that will ensure that Human Rights and Migrant Rights are recognized and respected.

For a start, maybe an area could be set aside as a 'SANTUARY' for Refugees and their families, including those potential refugees. Some basic amenities could be provided...What this sanctuary would provide is safety from RELA and other enforcement bodies...etc.

Activist Irene Fernandez, 62, was acquitted on Monday of maliciously publishing false news about the torture and abuse of migrant workers after a 13-year court battle.

There were shouts of joy from Fernandez’s family and supporters when Justice Datuk Mohd Apandi Ali announced his decision, reversed the 2003 Magistrate Court’s conviction and one-year jail sentence.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Shamsul Sulaiman told the court earlier that he would not pursue with a cross appeal.

He said that after being served with the records of the proceedings of Irene’s case and discovering systemic errors in the records, he decided that justice would not be achieved by opposing the appeal.

In the light of the prosecution not opposing the appeal “there is no necessity to deliberate on this appeal further,” said Justice Mohd Apandi.

Irene later said that she was “relieved and very happy that truth and justice had prevailed” as she had least expected the result when she got up this morning.

In In 1995, Fernandez wrote a memorandum on ‘Abuse, Torture and Dehumanised Conditions of Migrant Workers in Detention Centres.'

A year later, she was arrested and charged under Section 8A (1) of the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984. - Star. 24/11/2008, Activist Irene Fernandez acquitted after 13-year trial

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Irene should look into the possibility of taking legal action against the govt for wrongful allegations causing her unnecessary stress over the past 13 years. It just goes to show that those people in UMNO were very vindictive towards her because she exposed their barbaric treatment of illegal immigrants. They knew they had no case against her, yet kept on prolonging the case year after year for 13 years until they find they have exhausted all means to deal with her. These spiteful people in UMNO ought to be taught a lesson

Samuel Goh Kim Eng said...

JUSTICE DELAYED IS JUSTICE DENIED

Let's pray that no court is treated like a playground
Where people are constantly placed on a merrygoround
Simply because important documents are sometimes not found
And required involved personnel are often not around

(C) Samuel Goh Kim Eng - 241108
http://MotivationInMotion.blogspot.com
Mon. 24th Nov. 2008.