An international organisation today expressed grave concern over the arrest of human rights lawyer P Uthayakumar for allegedly threatening a police officer over the handling of an investigation concerning a death in custody.

The Geneva-based World Organisation Against Torture or Organisation Mondiale Contre le Torture (OMCT) said it suspected that he was detained in relation to the case and his political activities in Parti Reformasi Insan Malaysia.

OMCT said it was concerned that Uthayakumar, who is Prim pro tem secretary-general, may be subjected to ill-treatment.

"People being detained incommunicado in Malaysia run a higher risk of being subjected to such treatment," it said in a press statement.

"[We] therefore call on the Malaysian authorities to guarantee Uthayakumar's personal integrity and to immediately release him in the absence of valid legal charges," OCMT added.

Uthayakumar was released at 1.30 pm today at the Sepang police station in Selangor but was immediately re-arrested. He was later brought to the Sentul police station in Kuala Lumpur.

Uthayakumar a vocal campaigner against police brutality was first arrested by a police team led by Selangor CID chief Abu Bakar Mustafa at the Sepang Magistrate's Court yesterday.

Exact reasons not known

Prim police watch and human rights committee chairperson RN Rajah told malaysiakini later the arrest took place at the end of the three-month inquiry into the custodial death of S Tharmarajen, 19.

It is learnt that Uthayakumar was being held under Section 506 of the Criminal Procedure Code although the exact reasons for his arrest were yet to be known.

The lawyer was representing Tharmarajen's family, who claim the victim died on June 21 last year due to beatings he suffered while in police custody.

However, government doctors diagnosed pneumonia or tuberculosis as the cause of death.

Meanwhile, OMCT also called on Malaysians to take the necessary measures to ensure Uthayakumar's "physical and pyschological integrity".

The organisation said if the charges against him existed, Uthayakumar should be brought before an "impartial and competent" tribunal while his procedural rights should be guaranteed at all times.

OMCT is the umbrella body for several human rights organisations including Suara Rakyat Malaysia or Suaram.

Police brutality

In a related development, English daily Malay Mail today quoted Selangor police chief Mohamad Noor Hamat as saying police were investigating an allegation that Uthayakumar threatened a police officer during an inquest in Sepang last year.

The inquest involved a detainee's death during police custody in Sepang.

Uthayakumar was instrumental in getting the inquest underway and had submitted protest memorandums on police brutality to the government, judiciary as well to the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam).

Prim's work in highlighting police brutality attained further recognition when it was awarded the Human Rights 2002 Award by human rights organisation Suaram last December.