“Fakhrulrazi’s conviction was another huge step backwards for freedom of expression,” said the NGO in a statement.

In the first place, it pointed out, the Attorney-General should not have initiated the charge. “The Sedition Act is flawed.”

Since Mohd Apandi Ali became Attorney-General, added Bersih 2.0, the majority of sedition cases was about criticism of government or the administration of justice.

“The Najib administration’s crackdown on civil society and activists was at a time when the country was facing the largest corruption scandal in its history,” said Bersih 2.0. “To date, there has not been a single arrest or charge on the 1MDB Scandal.”

Fakhrulrazi had allegedly called, during the #KitaLawan rally last year, for the release of former parliamentary Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim. The Kuala Lumpur Sessions court jailed Fakhrulrazi for eight months.

Besides Fakhrulrazi, eight other activists which include Bersih 2.0 Chairperson Maria Chin Abdullah and manager Mandeep Singh have also been charged for participating in the #KitaLawan rally.

Bersih 2.0 supports the Abolish The Sedition Act Movement (GHAH)’s demands. GHAH wants all sedition pending cases dropped, a moratorium on sedition cases, a review of the Act and its abolishment.

GHAH and Dapsy Selangor, in separate statements, echoed Bersih 2.0’s statement on Fakhrulrazi.