Keadilan Youth chief Mohd Ezam Mohd Nor was today acquitted of sedition by the Kuala Lumpur High Court.

Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail requested Justice S Augustine Paul to drop the charges, according to Ezam's lawyer Zainur Zakaria.

Ezam, who is also former deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim's political secretary, was arrested on March 5 last year for allegedly calling for mass protests in a March 4 interview with Utusan Malaysia .

The outspoken youth leader is currently serving a two-year jail sentence after being convicted by the Petaling Jaya Sessions Court last Wednesday for contravening the Official Secrets Act. He is also facing other charges of illegal assembly.

Not surprised

When contacted, Zainur said that he was not surprised by Abdul Gani's request.

"On the past few occasions in court he was already giving indications that he would be withdrawing the charges," Zainur said.

According to him, Abdul Gani said that he was using his discretionary powers to drop the charges as Ezam was already serving a two-year jail sentence and facing other criminal procedures.

Prior to his recent OSA sentencing, Ezam was held at the Kamunting Detention Centre in Taiping, Perak, under the Internal Security Act on suspicion of being involved in a militant attempt to overthrow the government April last year.