Two boys freed after judge denies request for remand
(The Star) – Two underaged boys who were arrested for taking part in Saturday’s anti-ISA demonstration have been released after a magistrate refused to allow them to be remanded.
The 16-year-old and 13-year-old, who were represented by five lawyers each, were released after being held for more than 24 hours.
They were first detained at the Cheras Federal Reserve Unit complex, then moved to the Petaling police station in Jalan Klang Lama before being transferred to Bukit Jalil police station yesterday.
Two women, Masitah Sharif and Siti Zalina, were also released yesterday afternoon.
Underaged protesters: Police personnel escorting the two boys who have been released after being detained in the anti-ISA demonstration on Saturday.
Subang MP R. Sivarasa has also been remanded for two days. He is expected to be charged today.
The police said they would look into claims that the three teenagers were mistreated while in detention.
City CID chief Datuk SAC II Ku Chin Wah said the allegations were serious and they would get to the bottom of it.
“We cannot comment further until we find out the truth,” he said, referring to the allegations made by Human Rights group Suaram.
Suaram claimed that the teenagers were not given food and access to legal representation after being picked up.
Its co-ordinator, Temme Lee said the trio were handcuffed and made to wear lock-up clothes while one of them was detained together with adults.
“This is clearly a violation of the child rights and procedures in handling child detainees.
“The country has ratified the Convention of Rights of the Child and is obligated to protect their rights,” Lee said.
One of the boys, Suhaib Mat Shah, 16, is the son of ISA detainee Mat Sah Satray who has been in detention for seven years.
Suhaib’s mother, Norlaila Othman, a committee members of the Abolish ISA movement was also arrested during the rally and detained at the Bukit Jalil remand centre.
To date, 526 of the nearly 600 people arrested have been released after their particulars were taken down.
City police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Wira Mohd Sabtu Osman said 63 people were still being held.
It is learnt that at least 30 of the protesters would be charged today.
DCP Mohd Sabtu said police were still looking for 11 Opposition members, including PKR adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and PAS secretary-general Datuk Mustafa Ali, who were said to have instigated the gathering.
