KEADILAN Youth welcomes the recent declaration by the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention in recognising Anwar Ibrahim as a victim of arbitrary detention, or a political prisoner. This damning indictment is an embarrassment to the Prime Minister and the BN government.
This declaration is based upon the body’s assessment that Anwar was imprisoned after an unfair trial and that basic elements of the rule of law had been breached during the course of the trial – thus making his imprisonment illegal. As the Prime Minister is fond of giving homilies to international audiences on moderation and the rule of law, the recent stance taken by the UN puts a severe dent into the PM’s
credibility.
In addition to the UN there is an increasingly louder international chorus of condemnation against the illegal imprisonment of Anwar. Foreign governments such as Australia and the United States have voiced out their concern over the government’s treatment of Anwar – this in addition to concerns raised by NGOs such as Amnesty International and also religious figures such as Syeikh Yusuf Qardawi.
Most right thinking Malaysians and the international community are convinced that Anwar’s trial was nothing less than a sham and as such justice has not been served.
To our friends in the corridors of power and influence overseas, especially countries with traditionally close ties with the Malaysian government – we urge them to recognise the UN’s position on the imprisonment of Anwar and take the necessary steps to make their stand known to the Najib administration. In addition to his illegal politically charged imprisonment, his ill health and need for immediate specialist care makes this ever more urgent.
