KUALA LUMPUR: Persatuan Aliran Kesedaran Negara (Aliran) welcomed Attorney-General Tan Sri Tommy Thomas’ decision to drop charges against 12 individuals who were arrested and accused of supporting the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
The 12 persons – including two DAP state assembly members, P Gunasekaran (Seremban Jaya) and G Saminathan (Gadek) – have been held in detention without bail under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma) since October last year.
The others are V Suresh Kumar, B Subramaniam, S Thanagaraj, S Chandru, S Arivainthan, M Pumugan, Sundram Renggan alias Rengasamy, V Balamurugan, A Kalaimughilan and S Teeran.
“The detention of the 12 under Sosma, which allows for detention without trial, was unjust and unacceptable. We firmly believe their arrest and detention for 135-137 days (as of today) was unnecessary and unjust,” said Aliran executive committee said in a statement today.
It said that the Attorney-General’s decision to drop the charges comes not a moment too soon.
“Aliran reiterates the call for the repeal of Sosma and all other repressive laws that allow for detention without trial,” it said.
In a 11-page media statement, on Friday, Thomas said there was no realistic prospect to convict the 12 men of the offence against the 34 charges filed against them.
“As such, in exercising my discretionary authority under Article 145(3) of the Federal Constitution, I decide to stop proceedings against them immediately,” he said.
All 12 were detained under Sosma and were placed in Sungai Buloh Prison while awaiting trial. Under SOSMA, they were not allowed bail.
Among others, they were charged for supporting LTTE at an occasion, giving support to the group on social media as well as possessing and distributing materials relating to LTTE.
All their cases were transferred to the High Court here but have not been heard and they were still awaiting case management.
