"Murray Hunter, a longtime resident of southern Thailand, will stand trial in Bangkok next month, charged with criminal defamation over articles critical of the Malaysian government's internet regulator. In four articles posted on his Substack across April 2024, Hunter accused the Malaysia Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) of abusing its power, censoring and blocking websites critical of the government, and alleged its chair held a conflict of interest."
"Thai Lawyers for Human Rights described the legal action against Hunter as a transnational SLAPP case. SLAPP is an acronym for Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation, specious or intimidating lawsuits filed to silence critics, activists, or journalists, and organisations by burdening them with the cost of a legal defence or potential penalties. The cases are most often brought by companies or governments seeking to suppress public debate, or silence criticism."
Murray Hunter, an Australian academic and journalist resident in southern Thailand, faces criminal defamation charges in Thailand over four Substack articles published in April 2024. The articles accused the Malaysia Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) of abusing power, censoring and blocking websites critical of the government, and alleged a conflict of interest involving its chair. Hunter was arrested in September at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport, bailed, and had his passport seized. He will stand trial in Bangkok in December. The offence carries up to two years' imprisonment or a 200,000 baht fine. Malaysian courts previously awarded MCMC a civil defamation win. Thai Lawyers for Human Rights called the action a transnational SLAPP case.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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