PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian government has been criticised by domestic and international human rights groups for detaining four Egyptians critical of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, with the intention of extraditing them to Egypt where they may be executed.
“Malaysia has deported four Egyptians who may face execution by the military regime in Egypt. This has been done secretly, flouting international human rights standards,” said Lawyers for Liberty executive director Latheefa Koya (pic).
“The four Egyptians are members of jailed (former President Mohamed) Morsi’s party and are being persecuted for their political beliefs.
“It’s shocking that the government has deported persecuted persons to a regime that practises torture and killings. (Their) families and lawyers were denied information and kept in the dark throughout,” she tweeted on Thursday (March 7).
“We would have expected this inhumane conduct on the part of the (previous) Barisan Nasional regime, but it’s outrageous that the Pakatan Harapan government is doing the same thing.
“This is an international black mark for our country and a setback for the new Malaysia,” added Latheefa.
According to a report by Al Jazeera, an official at Malaysia’s Foreign Ministry confirmed on Friday (March 8) that the four Egyptians had been detained in an operation by the Immigration Department and the Special Branch.
The source, according to the news agency, spoke on condition of anonymity and said the men were not registered as refugees.
“We can confirm the four have been arrested under the Security Offences (Special Measures Act) (Sosma).
“Malaysia has deported four Egyptians who may face execution by the military regime in Egypt. This has been done secretly, flouting international human rights standards,” said Lawyers for Liberty executive director Latheefa Koya (pic).
“The four Egyptians are members of jailed (former President Mohamed) Morsi’s party and are being persecuted for their political beliefs.
“It’s shocking that the government has deported persecuted persons to a regime that practises torture and killings. (Their) families and lawyers were denied information and kept in the dark throughout,” she tweeted on Thursday (March 7).
“We would have expected this inhumane conduct on the part of the (previous) Barisan Nasional regime, but it’s outrageous that the Pakatan Harapan government is doing the same thing.
“This is an international black mark for our country and a setback for the new Malaysia,” added Latheefa.
According to a report by Al Jazeera, an official at Malaysia’s Foreign Ministry confirmed on Friday (March 8) that the four Egyptians had been detained in an operation by the Immigration Department and the Special Branch.
The source, according to the news agency, spoke on condition of anonymity and said the men were not registered as refugees.
“We can confirm the four have been arrested under the Security Offences (Special Measures Act) (Sosma).
“They are in the hands of the Immigration Department and the Egyptian embassy has been informed,” Al Jazeera quoted the official as saying.
The article also detailed an account by eyewitnesses who said one of the men, Mohammed Fathi, had his vehicle stopped and he was taken away by three masked men in Malaysian military uniform, along with several others in civilian clothes.
The wife of Abdullah Hisham Mustafa, another of the men facing deportation, said she was in the dark over her husband’s fate.
Her husband could be tortured or executed if handed over to Egyptian authorities, she said.
The Al Jazeera article did not provide details on the identity of the remaining two Egyptians.
Requests for information from Malaysian authorities were so far unsuccessful, with a Foreign Ministry official, however, referring The Star to the Home Ministry.
The article also detailed an account by eyewitnesses who said one of the men, Mohammed Fathi, had his vehicle stopped and he was taken away by three masked men in Malaysian military uniform, along with several others in civilian clothes.
The wife of Abdullah Hisham Mustafa, another of the men facing deportation, said she was in the dark over her husband’s fate.
Her husband could be tortured or executed if handed over to Egyptian authorities, she said.
The Al Jazeera article did not provide details on the identity of the remaining two Egyptians.
Requests for information from Malaysian authorities were so far unsuccessful, with a Foreign Ministry official, however, referring The Star to the Home Ministry.
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