Bernama reported that a three-judge panel, consisting of Justices Ahmad Zaidi Ibrahim, Azizul Azmi Adnan and Ahmad Kamal Shahid, overturned the High Court decision imposing the gag order on the blogger, also known as Papagomo.

Wan Azri’s lawyer Rafique Rashid Ali said Azizul, who delivered the court’s decision, held the prosecution had failed to present any material or facts to demonstrate among others, the real and substantial risk to the fairness of the trial.

He said Azizul also said the principles that must be followed before imposing any pre-emptive gag orders were outlined in the Federal Court’s decision in the case of former prime minister Najib Razak.

Wan Azri pleaded not guilty at the sessions court in May last year to a charge of posting seditious publications against Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim on his X account.

The 41-year-old former Umno Youth exco member is accused of committing the offence at a condominium unit in Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur, at noon on April 29 last year.

He was charged under Paragraph 4(1)(c) of the Sedition Act 1948, which can be punished under subsection 4(1) of the same law, which provides for a maximum fine of RM5,000 or imprisonment not exceeding three years, or both, if convicted.

On May 27 last year, the High Court issued the gag order against Wan Azri after allowing the prosecution’s application to revise the sessions court’s decision, which had rejected their application for a gag order.

The sessions court has fixed three days from March 3 for trial.