Electoral watchdog Bersih has called for all politically-motivated accusations and charges against opposition leaders and activists to be dropped.

"Bersih condemns any act of using the law merely for political reasons to deny people the right to protest.

"All charges must be dropped immediately as they go against the rights to gather and protest peacefully," the electoral reform movement said in a statement today.

For example, Bersih said, the Sedition Act is still used liberally by the ruling coalition to contain the political activities of anyone opposing it and to intimidate the public.

"This is done over and over again after Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak promised to repeal the Act and then went back on that promise.

"These specific accusations by the ruling coalition are a step to criminalise the right to protest, and it continues to be abused without any protest from the prime minister," they said.

Bersih gave the recent examples of Tanjung MP Ng Wei Aik and Subang MP R Sivarasa, who have both been charged separately under the Sedition Act, as well as activist Lawrence Jayaraj, who will be facing a similar charge.

Even the charges against Bersih chairperson Maria Chin Abdullah and Bersih Sabah vice-chairperson Jannie Lasimbang under the Peaceful Assembly Act are politically motivated, it said.

In a separate statement today, Angkatan Muda Keadilan (AMK) law bureau chief Murnie Hidayah has also condemned the move to charge AMK chief Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad ( photo ) for the third time under Section 9(5) of the same Act.

Nik Nazmi was charged with failing to inform the police 10 days prior to the Blackout 505 rally at the Kelana Jaya Stadium held on May 8, 2013.

"This is very shocking and unreasonable. Nik Nazmi has already been acquitted on the same charge by the Court of Appeal in April 2014.

"It was a unanimous decision from the court that the charge brought against Nik Nazmi is unconstitutional (back then)," Murnie said.

This continuous attempt against the Selangor state executive councillor is a form of intimidation and is insulting to the judiciary process, she said.

It is also a waste of resources on both the part of the prosecution and the defence, Murnie added.