Malaysia: Sedition conviction must be quashed
| Publisher | Amnesty International |
| Publication Date | 25 August 2016 |
| Cite as | Amnesty International, Malaysia: Sedition conviction must be quashed, 25 August 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/57bfe51e4.html [accessed 31 May 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. |
The conviction of Mohammed Fakhrulrazi Mohammed Mokhtar for sedition should be quashed immediately, Amnesty International said today.
"This is a clear violation of the right to freedom of expression. Malaysia's sedition law is a crude colonial-era instrument designed to silence dissent. It has no place in a modern rights-respecting society and should be repealed immediately," said Josef Benedict, Amnesty International's Deputy Director for South East Asia and the Pacific.
Background
Mohammed Fakhrulrazi Mohammed Mokhtar, the vice-chief of the Parti Amanah Negara Youth, was found guilty of sedition by the Sessions Court in Kuala Lumpur and sentenced to eight months in prison.
Fakrhulrazi, also known as Ustaz Fakhrulrazi, was charged with sedition for calling for the release of opposition politician and Amnesty International prisoner of conscience Anwar Ibrahim, at a rally in February 2015.
The charge, under Section 4(1)(b) of the Sedition Act 1948, carries a maximum penalty of three years' imprisonment and a fine of RM5,000.
