Islamic Militants Held Under ISA For Four Years, Freed.

Malaysia's government has freed another four suspected Islamic militants jailed without trial for more than four years but authorities have restricted their movements, activists said Monday.

It was the second release this year of alleged militants held under the Internal Security Act, which allows indefinite detention without trial. Four men were freed in June.

The latest four releases came on Aug. 15, 16 and 17 from the Kamunting prison camp in northern Malaysia, rights group Abolish ISA Movement said in a statement. The suspects were freed on the condition that they remain within the districts in which they live.

Three of the men — Shukry Omar Talib, Mohammed Kadar and Mohamad Azmi Abdul Karim — were arrested in early 2002 while Shahime Ramli was detained in March 2003. All were held on suspicion of being members of the regional terror network Jemaah Islamiyah, the rights group said.

The group called for the restrictions to be lifted so that they could return to normal life. It also slammed the "selective releases" of ISA detainees by authorities, saying another 40 JI suspects held under the security law remained in Kamunting.

The group called on the government to "release or prosecute all ISA detainees in Kamunting."

Internal Security Ministry officials could not be immediately reached for comment. The government usually does not publicly announce the release of people held under the ISA. No reason was given for the release, but security officials have said in previous cases that suspects were freed after they repented following intensive rehabilitation.

Hundreds of people were arrested under the ISA in a sweep against Jemaah Islamiyah and its local affiliate, Kumpulan Militan Malaysia, mostly between 2001 and 2003. Jemaah Islamiyah is widely blamed for a string of terror attacks in the region, most notably the 2002 Bali bombings that killed 202 people, mostly Western tourists.

Malaysian opposition groups and activists have called for the ISA to be repealed, saying the law is widely abused to silence dissidents, but officials insist it is necessary to protect national security and ensure stability. (International Herald Tribune)
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