After Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma) filed a RM3 million suit against Lawyers for Liberty executive director Eric Paulsen last month over a Twitter posting he made, the lawyer filed his defence and counter-claim in the High Court in Kuala Lumpur today.

Isma filed the suit on Sept 2, through the firm of Fuad Abi & Aidil, on the Twitter posting Paulsen made in January about Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein’s comment on the Charlie Hebdo incident in Paris that same month.

The organisation claimed Paulsen's response to Hishammudddin put Isma in a bad light and that Paulsen was defamatory in calling Isma an extremist group that is prone to violent activities.

The suit was filed by Isma because Paulsen did not delete his Twitter comment after a letter of demand was sent.

Isma is seeking RM3 million as general damages for loss of reputation, along with aggravated and exemplary damages.

It states in its website that this suit is filed against anyone who goes against the sanctity of Islam and its special position under the federal constitution.

In his defence and counter-claim filed today, Paulsen ( photo ) pleaded 'fair comment' and 'justification', saying Isma issues statements or posts articles that are deemed extreme, intolerant and extremist towards the Chinese, Christians, and Jews.

He listed 50 articles that were put up by Isma on its website, from April 7, 2011, to Oct 3 this year, to prove his point.

The lawyer also cited 'qualified privilege' in his defence, saying he had the moral and social obligation in the public interest to issue such a statement against Isma.

Paulsen further complained that Isma in its publication on the web titled “ Jangan biar Eric Paulsen bebas tanpa perbicaraan ” (Do not allow Eric Paulsen to be free without a trial) is defamatory on him.

He said the article defamed him with the claim that he was backed by the European Union and the United States and that he is a liar, a slanderer, has no morality, is insincere, and does not have a good reputation.

The article by Isma, he claimed, also portrayed him as against Islam and that he had caused people to hate the religion, and therefore he is not fit to be the executive director of Lawyers for Liberty.

Paulsen is seeking general, aggravated, and exemplary damages, along with an injunction to bar Isma from repeating or publishing words to that effect again.