Monday 10 December 2007

Eight arrested in Freedom Walk released on bail

The four lawyers and four activists arrested in Jalan Tun Perak yesterday for taking part in the Freedom Walk along Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman were released on bail pending trial.

They pleaded not guilty at the Sessions Court here today to two charges of being in an unlawful assembly and failing to adhere to police orders to disperse.

Lawyers Amer Hamzah Arshad, Latheefa Beebi Koya, N. Surendran and K. Sivarasa and activists Eric Paulsen, Johny Andu @ Abu Bakar Adnan, Nooraza Othman and Ashraf Ali Sadakathullah also claimed trial to two alternative charges of taking part in the illegal assembly and failing to adhere to police orders to disperse.

In the same court, lawyer Edmund Bon Tai Soon, 33, claimed trial to obstructing a Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) enforcement officer from removing a banner in front of the Bar Council office in Jalan Lebuh Pasar at about 12.15pm yesterday.

Bon, the Bar Council's human rights committee chairman, had allegedly committed the offence under Section 186 of the Penal Code and faces up to three years in jail or a maximum fine of RM1,000, or both, if convicted.

Bernama has the report here
Also read Colour Blind's "All protesters freed on bail" : here
"Updates from Jalan Duta" : here

1 comment:

Pak Zawi said...

Kak Ton,
Lawyers are intelligent people and of course they know the law and understand them to the letter. I doubt that they will break the law if by doing so it will bring chaos to the nation.
On the other hand the authorities are trying to do all they can to make everything look rosy and well inspite of the unhappiness among the people. Bottling them up this way can only lead to trouble later on as some steam need to be released to prevent it from exploding. Arresting the lawyers for breaking the laws that was interpreted in its utmost rigidity is not helping the cause. A similar infringement is not considered an offence at all in other advanced country and this will only make Malaysia look like a very backward and oppressed country very much similar to Myanmar. What are they so scared of?