Habeas corpus is an order to bring a detainee before a judge or court to find out if that person should really be in jail.

Maria named investigating officer Tham Lai Kuan, the Inspector-General of Police, the Home Ministry and the government as respondents.

Ambiga Sreenevasan, Maria’s lawyer, said they filed a certificate of urgency to expedite the hearing. She also said they had listed Maria’s detention in solitary confinement as one of the grounds.

Ambiga confirmed that Maria was being detained under Section 4(5) of Sosma, which provides for up to 28 days in detention without trial.

Ambiga was accompanied by other members of Maria’s legal team as well as the Bersih chief’s three sons.

In a supporting affidavit, Maria’s son Azumin Yunos, stressed his mother’s detention was unconstitutional.

“The respondents failed to state the reasons she was detained under Sosma,” said Azumin, adding that a person cannot be arrested for their political beliefs.

Azumin lodged a police report on Monday based on claims that Maria was being badly treated in detention.

The authorities detained the Bersih chief on Friday, on the eve of the Bersih 5 rally. She is being investigated for attempts to commit activities detrimental to parliamentary democracy.

Meanwhile, the Group of 25, said in a statement, that it is unbelievable the government could subject an innocent woman, a mother of three children, to such cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment.