The criminal intimidation case against lawyer P Uthayakumar for allegedly threatening a police officer has brought adverse international attention on Malaysian authorities for what has been billed as the "prosecution of lawyers."

The Geneva-based International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) issued a 10-page report yesterday condemning the charges against Uthayakumar, and his arrest and detention by the police over the offences.

"The Malaysian legal system has been under international scrutiny for its prosecution of lawyers, particularly through the use of the contempt power.