Seeing her activist father taken away to jail today has only stoked a fire inside 14-year-old Asiah Latif.

"It is so weird how he's in jail because he was fighting for justice. I'm never gonna stop fighting for what's right. I love you, Abah," Asiah said in a Facebook posting.

Asiah's father Bad Latif Mansor is among the 13 sent to jail for 10 months today, when the Court of Appeal found them guilty of illegal assembly.

They were also fined RM5,000 each for demonstrating against the swearing-in of BN's Zambry Abdul Kadir as Perak menteri besar during a political coup in the state in 2009.

Her mother, Nashita Md Noor in another equally moving Facebook posting said the family will remain strong.

"Alas, he is not coming home with us[...]God-willing, we are strong. Thank God we are."

Earlier, Lawyers for Liberty decried what it sees as double standard in the jailing of the 13 protesters.

The NGO's executive officer Eric Paulsen said the punishment was in stark contrast to the kid's gloves treatment received by 15 Umno members who had stormed the Penang state assembly last year.

"The sentence is certainly harsh and disproportionate compared to the RM1,500 fine imposed on 15 men, mostly Umno members, who barged into the Penang state legislative assembly last year, threatened its occupants and also destroyed property," Paulsen ( left ) said in a statement today.

The 15 men in Penang were angry with Seri Delima state assemblyperson RSN Rayer who had called Umno "celaka" (damned) and had demanded that he show himself.

In the Perak case, Paulsen said, the Court of Appeal should have taken into account the "exceptional extenuating circumstances" surrounding the protest.

"It was by and large peaceful and aimed at preventing a highly controversial coup d'état of a legally elected Pakatan Rakyat Perak government," he said.

    

Paulsen urged the courts to safeguard the federal constitution and uphold fundamental liberties.

The protesters during the Perak coup had reportedly blocked the entrance to the state palace and some had hurled bottles and sticks at the police.

Muslimat PAS calls it violation of human rights

Meanwhile, Muslimat PAS, through its branch Ameerah Malaysia, added to the chorus of condemnation, calling the decision a "violation" of human rights.

"Clearly, this will aggravate the democratic environment in Malaysia, more so after we witnesses political leaders and activists being arrested, one after another, simply because they stand for freedom of speech which is guaranteed by the constitution," Ameerah Malaysia chief Fareedah Samad said in a statement today.

Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia (SAMM) Perak coordinator Zulfadhli A'dil called the jailing of the 13 a tyrannical act.

"SAMM Perak calls for this decision to be reviewed by the Federal Court, considering the rakyat's right to assemble is enshrined in Article 10 of the Federal Constitution," Zulfadhli said in a statement today.

The case of the 13 people originated from the sessions court and they have exhausted both their appeals.

Zulfadhli also urged Pakatan to look into their welfare as they were being put behind bars for defending the democratically-elected Pakatan government in 2009.

Pakatan came in power in Perak in 2008 but its term was short lived, after then deputy prime minister Najib Abdul Razak engineered a defection of assemblypersons, allowing BN get a slim majority in the state assembly and come to power.

The 13 were charged under Section 145 of the Penal Code, which makes it an offence for anyone to join or continue in an unlawful assembly despite being commanded to disperse.

The sentence is up to two years in prison or a fine or both.

PAS Youth chief Suhaizan Kaiat ( left ) pledged to stand in solidarity with the convicted persons, promising to ensure that their families would be taken care of.

"Some among them have toddlers and disabled children.

"Yet they were determined in their struggle to the end and it is an inspiration for youths wanting change."They are the rakyat's unsung heroes," Suhaizan said.

The 13 thrown into jail are Bad Latif Mansor, 48; Suhana Abdullah, 50; Mohd Faiz Mohd Arshad, 27; Zulhaizam Zulkifli, 30; Isha Riduan Ishak, 60; Adi Hilmee Mohd Nasir, 45; Mohamad Nazeer Hameed, 49; Khairul Azmi Hassan Basri, 49; Mohd Hasri Ismail, 49; Mohamed Ismail S M Abdul Kadir, 48; Idris Mohd Thaib, 49; Meor Safizal Meor Mohamed Amin, 40; dan Yusuf Jaafar, 49.