Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders Annual Report 2005 - Malaysia
| Publisher | International Federation for Human Rights |
| Publication Date | 22 March 2006 |
| Cite as | International Federation for Human Rights, Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders Annual Report 2005 - Malaysia, 22 March 2006, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/48747cbd140.html [accessed 7 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Status of the judicial proceedings against Mrs. Irene Fernandez46
In 1995, Mrs. Irene Fernandez, director of Tenaganita, an NGO working with migrant women, had been found guilty of "publishing false information with the intention to harm", following the publication of a report entitled Memorandum on the abuses, act of torture and inhuman treatment of migrant workers in detention camps. This report contained allegations of abuses inflicted upon migrant populations, based on Mrs. Fernandez' interviews with over 300 migrant workers. Sentenced to twelve months' imprisonment by the Kuala Lumpur Magistrates' Court 5B on 16 October 2003, she had been released on bail and had lodged an appeal against the sentence on 17 October 2003 with the Kuala Lumpur High Court. By the end of 2005, the proceedings were still pending, and no date for the hearing of the appeal had been set.
Furthermore, having had to surrender her passport to the High Court at the time of her release on bail, Mrs. Fernandez still had to apply to the authorities each time she wished to travel abroad.
On 9 December 2005, Mrs. Irene Fernandez received the Right Livelihood Award in Stockholm (Sweden).
[Refworld note: This report as posted on the FIDH website (www.fidh.org) was in pdf format with country chapters run together by region. Footnote numbers have been retained here, so do not necessarily begin at 1.]
46. See Annual Report 2004.
