Five activists who were acquitted and discharged by the Sessions Court in Kuala Lumpur last year on a charge of participating in the ‘Blackout 505’ rally in the compound of Masjid Ar-Rahman Universiti Malaya, which is a restricted area, six years ago, remained free when the prosecution withdrew its appeal at the High Court in Kuala Lumpur today.

Judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah dismissed the appeal after deputy public prosecutor S Malini Anne informed the court that the prosecution had no intention of pursuing with the appeal.

Sessions Court judge Zainal Abidin Kamarudin had, on April 13 last, acquitted and discharged Muhammad Safwan Anang, 30; Ekhsan Bukharee Badarul Hisham, 28; Adam Adly Abd Halim, 31; Mohamed Bukhari Mohamed Sufian, 29 and Khairul Anuar Ahmad Zainuddin, 39, of the charge.

The five men, who were alleged to have committed the offence between noon and 1.15pm on June 22, 2013, were freed after the prosecution failed to prove the case beyond reasonable doubt at the end of the defence case.

They were in court today and represented by lawyer Zaid Abd Malek.

- Bernama