The magistrate’s court rejected the police’s application for a four-day remand against Siti Kasim, who was then released immediately.
Clad in the orange jumpsuit worn by those in lock-up, Siti was also in handcuffs when she was escorted by five policemen to the court earlier today.
Registrar Sharifah Fadzilah Zolkifli of the Kajang magistrate’s court rejected the remand in proceedings on Sunday (June 24) and Siti was released from the Semenyih police station.
“We assume it’s because there is no basis by the police for the remand. That would be the reason,” said Ambiga, who led a team of 12 lawyers representing Siti.
“We sat down for over an hour for a full hearing and the registrar heard opinions from all sides,” she added.
Nearly 20 of Siti’s supporters from the legal profession and human rights groups had turned up at the court for the remand hearing. They included Petaling Jaya MP Maria Chin Abdullah and women’s rights activist Ivy Josiah.
Maria said the arrest of the activist lawyer is unjustifiable, adding that this should not be happening in a “new Malaysia”.
She added that it was a clear case of police abuse.
“This is why we need an IPCMC (Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission),” she said.
Earlier, Siti had helped her 24-year-old client Anis Izatty Ruslan escape from her mother.
She was arrested on Saturday (June 23) night after police broke into her house at around dinner time to “rescue” the woman who had been taking shelter there.
When she went to the Kajang police headquarters to ask why her home was broken into by police, she was arrested.
Siti’s arrest was made under Section 186 of the Penal Code for obstructing a public servant in the discharge of his duties.
Selangor CID chief Senior Asst Comm Fadzil Ahmat had said that police acted on both women based on a report by the woman’s mother.
“This follows a report made by the victim’s mother on June 21 that stated that her daughter had been taken away by Siti when she had been undergoing a psychiatrist’s exam at the Kajang hospital,” Fadzil said.
According to a Facebook post by Siti, her client is an adult who had tried to leave her mother.
Her mother had lodged a police report claiming that her daughter was mentally unstable and that her aqidah (faith) was in question.
Siti had claimed that the client was then “abducted” by police and the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (JAIS).
The client is said to have moved out of her parents’ house to escape her “controlling” mother who allegedly strangled her.
She was questioned by JAIS before being taken to the Kajang Hospital for a mental health assessment and was released thereafter.
She has been staying with Siti since she was released.
Police officers themselves had lodged reports against the lawyer over an earlier incident at the Kajang Hospital.
Officers who were escorting the client said Siti had forced her way into the evaluation ward, despite security guards attempting to stop her.
A video posted on Facebook shows Siti at the police station, demanding that her client be freed. A woman was also heard from another room, denying that she had been kidnapped by Siti.
Siti, who appeared upset, said she will sue the police for damaging her house.
She said police acted excessively as they could have called her and asked her to bring Anis to the police station for questioning.
Two women who said they were Anis’ aunts also appear in the video, where they thank Siti for helping to rescue Anis from her mother.
An aunt reportedly said that the mother has a history of abusive behaviour.