Lawyers for Liberty executive director Eric Paulsen has criticised the police for going after Bersih 4 participants who stomped on a photograph of Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang.

"While the act itself may be rude, it is certainly not criminal in nature as the law does not concern itself with trifles.

"Our civilised society will come to an end if any mere abuse, discourtesy, rudeness or insolence like in the present case, a person finds himself or herself exposed to all the trouble and worry of arrest, detention or criminal trial," he said in a statement today.

Paulsen (photo) said there was nothing in the law that elevates the prime minister or the leader of a political party to a special status beyond reproach or mandating them as "protected persons".

"This witch-hunt against Bersih participants is a serious abuse of the Penal Code as the provisions, archaic as they are, were never meant to protect the PM or public figures from public criticisms or insults.

"This latest incident adds to the alarming increase of cases that were brought against persons who allegedly insulted the authorities or figures seen to be aligned with the authorities," he said.

In contrast, Paulsen said much worse incidences directed at the opposition, such as threats have been ignored by the police.

"Needless to say, questions must be raised on the selective nature and double standard in approaching insult cases by looking at the personalities involved and their political alignment," he said.

Paulsen said the prime minister should also acknowledged that he suffered from poor public image and this is unlikely to improve if power is abused over frivolous matters.

"We wish to remind the prime minister that the authority and respect for his administration do not come from fear but from public confidence and this in turn depends wholly on his administration’s own conduct and integrity, for example by tackling corruption and abuse of power," he said.

Paulsen urged the police to be professional and impartial and to focus on maintaining law and order, preventing and detecting "real crimes" and apprehending "real criminals" instead of engaging in frivolous matters.

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