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Malaysia conditionally releases detainees held under controversial security law

By Bernard Hibbitts (editor) and University of Pittsburgh School of Law students.

[JURIST] Officials in Malaysia on Sunday announced the release of 13 people who were detained under the country's controversial Internal Security Act (ISA), in a move called for Friday by Prime Minister Najib Razak in his first address to the nation. Two ethnic Indian leaders of the banned Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) were among those removed from a detention center, but they remained in police custody Sunday, and police said the 13 would be placed under "police supervision". In his address, Najib also lifted bans on two newspapers and promised a "comprehensive review" of the ISA, which allows indefinite detention without trial. In November, Malaysian High Court Justice Syed Ahmad Helmy Syed Ahmad ordered the release of blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin, finding insufficient grounds for his arrest under the ISA. In June, Malaysian rights group Suaram cited the continued use of the ISA in saying that human rights conditions in the country had worsened in the past year. In May, the Federal Court of Malaysia rejected an appeal by five ethnic Indian protesters being detained by Malaysian authorities under the ISA. In January 2008, the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) called for Malaysia to lift the ISA, saying the law was being used to stifle peaceful dissent.

Full post as published by JURIST - The Paper Chase on April 05, 2009 (boomark / email).