KUALA LUMPUR: The Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) today withdrew its appeal on the release of five activists from their charge of participating in a rally at a prohibited area, six years ago.
The five are Adam Adli Abd Halim, 30, Muhammad Safwan Anang @Talib, 29, Ekhsan Bukharee Badarul Hisham, 27, Mohamed Bukhairy Mohamed Sofian, 28 and Khairul Anuar Ahmad Zainuddin, 38.
Deputy public prosecutor S. Malini Anne informed the High Court of the withdrawal before Judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah, today.
The court subsequently struck out the appeal.
On April 13, sessions court judge Datuk Zainal Abidin Kamarudin acquitted the five after finding that the prosecution had failed to establish a reasonable doubt in the case.
A total of five prosecution witnesses and five defence witnesses were called in to testify in the trial, which began on Dec 11, 2013.
The five were charged with participating in a ‘Blackout 505’ assembly in a restricted area in the vicinity of Masjid Ar-Rahman, University Malaya at Jalan Pantai Baharu here, between noon and 1.15pm on June 22, 2013.
The charge, under Section 4(2)(b) of the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012, carries a maximum fine of RM10,000 upon conviction.