I came to Geneva to talk at the UN amid an intensifying crackdown on civil society in Malaysia, receiving frenzied updates on the increasing number of activists, dissidents and opposition politicians being arrested and detained at home. At the UN, ARTICLE 19 briefed me on how States, including Malaysia, are gathering to consider how to…
Press Statement 10-month jail sentence against Perak protestors harsh and disproportionate 18 March 2015 Lawyers for Liberty is shocked at the 10-month jail sentence and RM5,000 fine imposed on 13 pro-democracy activists at the Court of Appeal today for protesting against the swearing in of Zambry Abdul Kadir as Menteri Besar of Perak in 2009.…
On 6 March 2015, Coroner Puan Rozita binti Bainon handed out an important judgement regarding the death of C. Sugumar, a death during police apprehension. C. Sugumar was chased down by a mob, was pinned down by police, had curry powder smeared on his face, two handcuffs were placed on him and he was stepped…
SHAH ALAM: A Coroner’s Court here held that the police had committed unlawful omission by not providing immediate medical attention to security guard C. Sugumar, who ran amok and died two years ago. Judge Rozi Bainon said the police’s refusal to send Sugumar to hospital after he suffered difficulty in breathing, because he was big…
LFL Press Statement 4 March 2015 Peaceful assembly is not an offence under the Peaceful Assembly Act or any other laws Lawyers for Liberty is shocked and appalled by Dang Wangi police chief ACP Zainol Samah’s announcement that this Saturday’s “Kita Lawan” rally was “illegal” and warned that it was in breach of the Peaceful…
Press Statement 24 February 2015 The judiciary must not fear or resent public criticism Lawyers for Liberty views with extreme concern the widespread use of the Sedition Act and Penal Code to stifle public criticism and protest against the recent Federal Court verdict convicting Anwar Ibrahim. Justice is not a cloistered virtue and the verdict…
The AG must admonish and revoke Shafee’s appointment as ad hoc DPP Press Statement 18 Februari 2015 Lawyers for Liberty is shocked and disgusted by Shafee Abdullah’s continuous attack against Anwar Ibrahim since his conviction on 10 February by giving a series of widely published interviews and cumulating in yesterday’s X-rated and vile forum organised…
The IGP should not be Twitter police Press Statement 13 February 2015 Lawyers for Liberty views with extreme concern the IGP’s self-appointed role as Twitter police – patrolling and being trigger happy on Twittersphere, deciding on a whim what can or cannot be published and coming down hard on opposition and dissidents. What is more…
KUALA LUMPUR: Human rights lawyer Eric Paulsen was charged in a Sessions Court here Thursday over a tweet in which he allegedly accused the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) of promoting extremism. He was brought before judge Abdul Rashid Daud to have his charge read to him. Paulsen, who is also Lawyers for Liberty executive…
On 28 January 2015, the Coroner made a landmark finding into the cause of death of Karuna Nithi, who had died in police lockup on 1 June 2013. The learned coroner was satisfied that the cause of Karuna Nithi’s death was by a combination of unlawful acts and omissions by persons unknown. This finding was…
Impose a permanent moratorium on death penalty in order to extradite Sirul from Australia Press Statement 27 January 2015 In light of the death penalty controversy surrounding Australia’s inability to extradite convicted killer Sirul Azhar Umar to Malaysia unless there is written assurance from the Malaysian government not to subject him to the death penalty…
Press Statement 26 January 2015 Inquire into the root causes of extremism and militancy instead of reviving the ISA Lawyers for Liberty views with extreme concern Deputy Home Minister Wan Junaidi’s remarks that the new anti-terrorism bill, to be tabled at the next Parliament session in March, was necessary to curb terrorist activities in the…
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 14 — Police today released lawyer Eric Paulsen after remanding him for two days to probe his post on Twitter that accused a federal Islamic agency of extremism. Paulsen, the executive director of Lawyers for Liberty (LFL), said he is being investigated under Section 4 of the Sedition Act 1948, adding that…
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 12 — Lawyer Eric Paulsen was arrested tonight over a Twitter post accusing the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) of spreading extremism through Friday sermons, according to Lawyers for Liberty (LFL). Paulsen was being investigated by police for sedition over the now-deleted message that he had published last week “Latest: @EricPaulsen101 just…
I refer to IGP Khalid Abu Bakar’s tweet on 10 January 2015 which said that I ought to be investigated under the Sedition Act for my tweet on Jakim and further attaching a closed up picture of my face with the word “Biadap”. The IGP’s tweet came following a Twitter campaign by pro-Umno cyber-troopers and…