Govt Withdraws Appeal Over Production Of Report On Activist S Disappearance

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Norhayati Ariffin is suing the government and the police over the disappearance of her husband, Amri Che Mat, in November 2016. (File pic)PUTRAJAYA: The government has withdrawn its appeal against a High Court ruling that ordered Putrajaya to release a classified report on the disappearance of activist Amri Che Mat to his wife.
FMT understands that the Court of Appeal was notified last week the appeal would be withdrawn with no order as to costs.
Last year, the High Court ordered the government to disclose a special task force’s report to Norhayati Ariffin, who is suing the police and the government over her husband’s disappearance more than seven years ago.
The court order, however, bars Norhayati and her lawyers from disclosing the contents of the report to third parties.
Amri, the founder of the NGO Perlis Hope, left his home in Kangar at about 11.30pm on Nov 24, 2016. His car was found at a construction site at the Bukit Cabang Sports School early the next morning.
Suhakam held a public inquiry into Amri’s disappearance between 2017 and 2019.
In 2021, the inquiry concluded that Amri was a victim of an enforced disappearance carried out by the state, specifically by the police’s Special Branch.
In response, the home ministry established a special task force to investigate Suhakam’s conclusion. It was given six months to complete its report.
Neither the ministry nor the task force has released the report despite repeated calls to do so by various parties, including Suhakam and several other NGOs. The report has been classified as a government secret.
In 2019, Norhayati filed a lawsuit against the government and 20 others over the conduct of the home ministry and the police during their investigations into Amri’s disappearance.
The list of defendants includes former inspectors-general of police Khalid Abu Bakar and Fuzi Harun, and former principal assistant director of the Special Branch’s social extremism division Awaludin Jadid.
The lawsuit’s hearing will resume at the Kuala Lumpur High Court on Feb 29. - FMT

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