Police have arrested three editors from a Malaysian news portal and charged them with sedition, their lawyers and authorities said on Tuesday, over a news report on discussions about punishments meted out under Islamic law.
The offices of The Malaysian Insider portal were raided by police and officials from the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) late on Monday.
Managing editor Lionel Morais, features editor Zulkifli Sulong and Malay news editor Amin Iskandar were taken into custody and several computers and other items were confiscated.
The arrests were over an article that said the Confederation of Rulers - Malaysia's monarchy - had rejected a proposal to amend a federal law that could allow the use of the Islamic punishment, hudud, in Malaysia.
"This started out as the cops wanting to question the editors and take statements," said Syahredzan Johan, a lawyer representing the company. "We only knew they wanted to make arrests after they came to the office".
Police and officials from the MCMC are investigating Morais, Sulong and Iskandar for sedition and improper use of network service that is "obscene, indecent, false, menacing or offensive in character", Mr. Johan said.
Police also confirmed the three men had been detained and were under investigation.
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