Kuala Lumpur: A local activist, Heidy Quah Gaik Li, was charged Tuesday for writing an allegedly offensive Facebook post saying refugees live in poor conditions and are mistreated in Malaysia.
Quah, the founder of Refugee for Refugees, an NGO, pleaded not guilty and was granted bail by the Kuala Lumpur Special Cyber Crime Sessions Court. The post is a year old.
Quah was charged with “knowingly making and initiating the transmission of offensive communication with intent to hurt other people’s feelings via her Facebook account.”
Amnesty International and other non-governmental organizations are protesting the court action against the activist. They say the government must “stop all forms of intimidation and threats against human rights defenders.”
