Human rights watchdog Amnesty International expressed concern that the six Internal Security Act detainees who are staging a hunger strike today to mark the first anniversary of their detention may be denied access to family members and lawyers.

In a press statement released today, AI urged the government to unconditionally release or charge the six in an open court.

These men are held solely on account of their peaceful dissenting political activities. They have been denied their fundamental rights to liberty, to freedom of expression, to a fair trial and to be free from the fear of ill-treatment or torture, said AI.

According to their sworn testimonies, the police interrogated them mainly about the internal organisation of their opposition party, without mentioning any alleged plots to use violence, it added.

The six  Keadilan leaders Mohd Ezam Mohd Nor, Tian Chua, Saari Sungib, Lokman Noor Adam, Dr Badrulamin Baharon and malaysiakini columnist-cum-filmmaker Hishamuddin Rais  were detained last year over their alleged involvement in a plot to overthrow the government through militant means.

They are currently being held for two years without trial at the Kamunting Detention Centre in Perak.

Last week, the detainees said they would stage a hunger strike beginning today to highlight their demand to be released or charged in court for their alleged crimes.

However, their lawyer R Sivarasa claimed the detainees were told by Kamunting officials that they would not be allowed to meet with their family or lawyers should they proceed with the hunger strike.

Repeal ISA

Meanwhile, AI also stressed the ISA must be repealed as it has been used repeatedly for politically-motivated and selective detentions of opposition activists, academics, students, trade unionists and other peaceful members of civil society.

The injustice inflicted on the six detained opposition activists is in danger of being obscured as the government retrospectively justifies the ISA as a necessary means to fight international terrorism.

Faced with this abuse of security legislation in Malaysia, we must stand up for the human rights of those detained, AI said.

According to the human rights watchdog, since 2001 the ISA has been used to detain at least 40 individuals accused of having links to international terrorism.