Dubbed the longest ever trial in Malaysian legal history, the Irene Fernandez case has taken seven years to be heard. With a decision expected tomorrow, malaysiakini recaps the highlights.

August 1995

Labour and women's activist Irene Fernandez of Tenaganita holds a press conference to reveal a memorandum entitled 'Abuse, Torture and Dehumanised Treatment and Deaths of Migrant Workers at Detention', which alleged abuse in immigration detention camps nationwide.

Sept 1, 1995

A police report is lodged and police investigations began.

March 18, 1996

Fernandez is arrested at her home and charged with violation of the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984, for "maliciously publishing false news".

June 10, 1996

Trial begins.

Aug 14, 1998

Having called up 35 witnesses, the prosecution rests its case.

Nov 23, 2000

Fernandez files a defamation lawsuit against Utusan Malaysia for a Sept 20, 1995 article which stated that she failed to co-operate with police investigations.

April 27, 2001

Bangladeshi witness Moron Mozumder testifies that police forced detainees at the Kemayan camp to perform various acts of group sex and oral sex.

May 16, 2001

Former Semenyih detainee Zakir Hussein testifies that the camp commandant ordered the public beatings of four inmates for allegedly attempting to escape and that one died because the police refused to get him medical help.

Jan 9-10, 2001

Zakir testifies to being beaten for refusing to bribe a police guard and says that, on another occasion , was beaten until unconscious.

Feb 12, 2001

The defence's 20th witness, Bangladeshi Abdul Alim testifies to being dragged by his genitals into his quarters in at the Machap Umboo camp.

Feb 14, 2001

Abdul Alim testifies to two deaths in Machap Umboo; the court adjourns the hearing.

Aug 12, 2002

Court fixes new hearing dates for 2003.

Jan 14, 2003

Trial resumes after a 20-months hiatus. Magistrate Juliana Mohamed announces her transfer to the law revision division of the Attorney-General's Chambers effective Sept 1, 2001 and asks if there are objections to her residing over the case.

Jan 15, 2003

Juliana announces that she will remain on the case, as she was not 'de-gazetted' as magistrate, despite her appointment.

March 13, 2003

The defence closes its case, having called 21 witnesses; the court fixes March 17, 2004 as the tentative date for a decision.

Oct 9, 2003

Magistrate Juliana notifies lead defence counsel M Puravalen that the date has been brought forward to Oct 14, and requests written submissions by Oct 11.