An appeal was sent to United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson urging her to call on Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad to immediately release three key KeADILan leaders who were arrested yesterday.

"We urge your office to send an urgent message to Mahathir to immediately release those detained and stop the persecution and intimidation of human rights defenders in Malaysia," said Cynthia Gabriel in her letter to Robinson, written on behalf of human rights NGO, Suaram.

Yesterday, three of the seven KeADILan leaders sought by police were nabbed by police. Party's information chief Ruslan Kassim, who was picked up at 3am, was ordered by a magistrate to be remanded for seven days for further investigations. Also arrested were Youth chief Mohd Ezam Mohd Nor and supreme council member N. Gopalan Krishnan.

Police have also called on another four KeADILan members to present themselves at the nearest police station for their involvement in organising the "Black 14" people's gathering at the National Mosque today.

They are KeADILan vice-president Chua Tian Chang, Subang Youth chief Lokman Noor Adam, Bukit Bintang division chief Sanusi Abdullah and Youth executive secretary Muhammad Zahid Md Arip.

Gabriel, who was a member of the Malaysian delegation of human rights activists to the United Nations Human Rights Commission meeting in Geneva last week, reminded Robinson of "her pledge to help promote and protect human rights in Malaysia, especially on the right to freedom of expression and assembly".

Robinson, who is former president of Ireland, gave the assurance during a meeting with Nurul Izzah, 19-year-old daughter of jailed former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim on Monday.( "[#1]UN expresses concern over possible Black 14 crackdown[/#]" , April 10).