A reformasi supporter arrested with 48 others during the "Black 14" gathering on Saturday, today informed the magistrate that he was beaten with a truncheon which resulted in a deep wound on his forehead, a lawyer who represented the group told reporters outside the magistrate court this afternoon.

"He also said that he was beaten and punched all over his body," lawyer N. Surendran said.

The protester was among 44 who were ordered by magistrate Lailatul Zuraidah to be remanded for another six days while 17-year-old Mohd Hafiz Hashim was remanded for three days.

According to DSP Tan Kok Liang, three others who were also arrested on Saturday, were released in the past 48 hours.

Defence lawyer Surendran added that the 45 were remanded under Section 27(5) of the Police Act for participating in an illegal assembly.

He also said that most of the detainees complained that they were kept in cramped lock-ups, given food and water at irregular times, were not allowed any change of clothes and had no access to proper praying facilities.

The atmosphere at the court building today was tense as more than 50 family members and supporters gathered to meet those arrested. Many were unable to get into the courtroom which was already packed by the time the hearing began at 10am.

Most of relatives, including a tearful pregnant woman whose husband was arrested at the National Mosque, claimed that they had been left in the dark as to which police lock-ups the detainees were held in.

They were also not allowed to meet the detainess who were driven off in three police trucks and a van as soon as the hearing ended at 12.30 pm.

Among those seen at the courthouse were KeADILan deputy president Dr Chandra Muzaffar, PRM president Dr Syed Husin Ali and Nurul Izzah, daughter of jailed deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim.

Meanwhile, Chandra today condemned Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamed and his government's show of force over the past weekend.

"It merely describes the utter contempt that the government has for the freedom of peaceful assemblies. For Mahathir to argue that he is protecting the interest of the majority means that the fight for justice is against the interest of the majority," he told malaysiakini .

"Is Mahathir also saying that the majority does not want an independent majority, a government of respect for the rule of law, free of corruption and abuse of power? His assumption is wrong," he added.

Chandra stated that the people were actually fighting for a fair, decent and just society.

"Let him (Mahathir) submit his allegation of violence to the Human Rights Commission to investigate. We also call on him to set up an independent enquiry to ascertain whether there was any violence at all," he said.