Police arrest 15 flash mob participants

KUALA LUMPUR: The flash mob, held as a prelude to the Black 505 rally, was short-lived as 15 participants were arrested barely an hour after it started. Among those arrested were Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia (SAMM ) propaganda director Edy Noor Reduan and a 10-year-old boy. Dang Wang OCPD Asst Comm Zainuddin Ahmad said the…

LFL: Charging Milosuam in Kota Kinabalu – Unwarranted and Arbitrary

Press Statement Lawyers for Liberty condemns the burdensome, unlawful and arbitrary charge of blogger Milosuam (Yusuf al Siddique) under section 505 of the Penal Code at the Magistrate’s Court in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. This section criminalizes the act of ‘publishing or circulating statements, rumours or reports’ that are ‘conducing to public mischief’. According to Section…

Kugan death: Family wins civil suit against police and Government

KUALA LUMPUR: In a landmark ruling, the family of suspected car thief A. Kugan won RM801,700 in damages over his death while in police custody. His mother N. Indra cried openly upon hearing the verdict Wednesday. High Court judge Justice V.T. Singham found the police and Government liable for Kugan’s death while being detained at…

IGP responsible for Kugan’s death in police custody, court rules

Malaysia’s national police chief was responsible for the death of detainee A. Kugan who was physically tortured during interrogation by police four years ago, the Kuala Lumpur High Court ruled today in a civil suit. High Court judge Datuk V. T. Singham said Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar, who was then the…

One Year after the Violence Began: Civil Society Organisations Deeply Concerned by the Human Rights and Humanitarian Situation of Stateless Rohingya

The Rohingya, a stateless minority of Myanmar, have endured decades of abuse, persecution and discrimination. One year ago, on 3 June 2012, the massacre of ten Muslims travelling in Rakhine State, following the killing and reported rape of a Buddhist woman, marked the beginning of a series of violent attacks against the Rohingya and other…

Joint Statement by: SUARAM and LFL on World Refugee Day

JOINT STATEMENT BY: SUARAM AND LFL An Increase of 14-fold Refugee Population for the past 10-year provokes government’s stereotype Today, in commemoration of the World Refugee Day, SUARAM and Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) strongly urge the Malaysian government to immediately ratify the 1951 Convention on the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol to promote,…

‘We still need independent police commission’

PETALING JAYA: The establishment of the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) is paramount to curb custodial deaths, said Pakatan Rakyat leaders. “IPCMC is what we need to investigate errant police officers but the government is not interested,” said DAP chairman Karpal Singh. Yesterday, Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi announced several measures to address…

Independence vital to coroners’ court, says human rights lawyer

The permanent coroners’ court, set up by the government to hear cases related to deaths in custody, must be allowed to function independently, said human rights lawyer N. Surendran. “I am still cautious about the initiative as I would need to look at the details of the system but the government is slow in implementing…

Lock-up deaths: Surendran speaks out

Crusading lawyer N. Surendran has encountered many harrowing cases of deaths in custody over the past 12 years TIME and time again, Malaysians have met their deaths in grim circumstances behind the bars of a police lock-up. These aren’t sanctioned executions nor fights between prisoners, but appear to be something altogether more sinister. In recent…

Dhamendran’s family accuses KL CID chief of ‘covering up’ murder

KUALA LUMPUR, June 13 — N. Dhamendran’s family lodged a disciplinary complaint today against Kuala Lumpur Criminal Investigation Department (CID) chief SAC Datuk Ku Chin Wah for allegedly covering up the detainee’s death. Ku was reported by national news agency Bernama on May 22 as saying that Dhamendran had died the night before after complaining…

Sugumar to be laid to rest tomorrow

PETALING JAYA: PKR vice president N Surendran said today that the family of C Sugumar has given up on the crusade for a second autopsy but will continue to fight for justice. “The family along with us lawyers had given the government a 48 hour ultimatum to allow a second autopsy. They have kept mum…