Drop sedition probe against lawyers, Amnesty International tells Putrajaya
Saturday April 2, 2016
07:11 AM GMT+8
(From
left) Karen Cheah, R. Shanmugam, Francis Pereira and Charles Hector
arrive at Bukit Aman to give their statements, Kuala Lumpur, March 31,
2016. ― Picture by Yusof Mat IsaKUALA LUMPUR, April 2 ― Amnesty International has urged Malaysian authorities to drop sedition investigations against four lawyers over a Malaysian Bar motion calling for the Attorney-General’s resignation.
The international human rights group said laws that are used to
intimidate people from exposing wrongdoing by public officials are
incompatible with the right to freedom of expression.
“These investigations are the most recent effort by the authorities to
harass and intimidate critics of the government and undermine the
independence of the Bar, the sole body representing practising lawyers
in Peninsular Malaysia,” Josef Roy Benedict, deputy director of
campaigns from Amnesty International’s Southeast Asia and Pacific
regional office, said in a statement yesterday.
“Amnesty International calls on the Malaysian authorities to urgently
repeal the Sedition Act, and to quash convictions against any individual
sentenced under the act simply for peacefully exercising their rights
to freedom of expression. The authorities must ensure that they are
immediately and unconditionally released,” he added.
Benedict pointed out that a recent Amnesty International report showed
that at least 91 people, including activists, journalists, academics and
opposition politicians, were investigated, arrested or charged last
year alone under the 1948 colonial-era law.
Police recorded Thursday statements from Malaysian Bar secretary Karen
Cheah and the three lawyers ― Charles Hector Fernandez, R. Shanmugam and
Francis Pereira ― who had moved the motion urging Tan Sri Mohamed
Apandi Ali to quit as Attorney-General.
The contentious motion at the Malaysian Bar’s March 19 annual general
meeting (AGM) called on Apandi to resign over his decisions in cases
involving state investment firm 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB), former
1MDB unit SRC International, and the transfer of RM2.6 billion into the
prime minister’s personal accounts.
Apandi told a press conference on January 26 that he found that Prime
Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak did not commit any criminal offence in
the cases of SRC International and the RM2.6 billion transfer, which he
said was a donation from the Saudi royalty.- Malay Mail, 2/4/2016
- See more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/drop-sedition-probe-against-lawyers-amnesty-international-tells-putrajaya#sthash.JaAKwi39.dpuf
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