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Malaysia: Drop sedition charges against opposition party member and repeal the draconian Sedition Act   Iswardy Morni, a Parti Keadilan Rakyat member, has been charged under Section 4(1)(a) of the Sedition Act for statements made on Facebook deemed to be seditious and insulting towards the King. This marks the first known use of the Sedition Act in 2021. The law is incompatible with international human rights law and has frequently been used to target activists, journalists, and others expressing critical opinions. On 30 May 2021, Iswardy was arrested and remanded for two days as police laun...

Malaysia: End harassment of civil society Malaysian authorities must stop harassing peaceful protesters, human rights defenders, and activists, said ARTICLE 19. The police have initiated investigations into ten individuals under Section 9(5) of the Peaceful Assembly Act in relation to their peaceful protest activities in recent weeks. Additionally, two artists have been investigated for their online activism. The Malaysian government should reform the Peaceful Assembly Act to bring it into compliance with international human rights law and take steps to ensure that all Malaysians enjoy the ri...

Police today summoned political cartoonist Zulkiflee Anwar Haque (known as Zunar) to the Padang Terap district police headquarters in Kedah on 2 May 2021 in relation to a cartoon he published on his Facebook page in January 2021.

“The authorities should release Fahmi Reza from detention and end their campaign of harassment and intimidation against him and other independent-minded artists and activists,” said Nalini Elumalai, ARTICLE 19’s Malaysia Programme Officer. “Satire is not a crime. Criminalising humour and critical commentary will stunt political discourse and chill civic engagement.”