One of the 17 students arrested over the sit-in at the Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) was allegedly asked to a sign a document stating that he sustained injuries from a fall. Gerakan Menuntut Kebebasan Akademik (Bebas) president Muhammad Safwan Anang said that he was asked to sign the document after a police photographer took pictures of him at the hospital.
He later related the incident to Student Solidarity Malaysia (SMM) president Ahmad Syukri Abdul Razab and lawyer N Surendran from his hospital bed this morning.
“After taking photographs, the police personnel asked Safwan to sign a form which read, to the effect of, ‘Mangsa jatuh semasa kejadian (the victim fell during the incident)’,” said Surendran when contacted.
Syukri told Malaysiakini that although Safwan was very weak, he was able to tear apart the document instead of signing it, but was not able to hold on to it for evidence and it was taken away.
Knee to the chest, punched on the face
During the incident early this morning, Safwan was allegedly beaten and became unconscious when the police moved in to break up the sit-in.
According to Syukri, Safwan said he was punched in the face, resulting in a broken lip and took a knee to the chest.
He adds that there were witnesses who saw the beating.
“He is conscious, but he can’t breath properly. If he stands up, he can’t breath,” he said, adding that Safwan could only manage short conversations in between rests at the Slim River hospital.
As for himself, Syukri said he was slammed onto a wall before being handcuffed during the melee.
“I asked why was I being handcuffed. There was no answer. They should not handcuff us. We didn’t use force,” he said.
To be charged on Jan 20?
Syukri said that the X-ray does not show any internal injuries on Safwan but his group are not taking any chances and will take him for a second opinion at a private hospital.
Meanwhile, Surendran said the 17 detainees were released this evening and they have to be present before a magistrate on Jan 20 to face charges.
He said that they were probed under Section 27 (5) of the Police Act 1974 for illegal assembly.
In conjunction with New Year’s Eve, about 60 students participated in the noisy but peaceful sit-in at the entrance of UPSI to demand for academic freedom.
They were given three warnings to disperse but they refused. The group claims that disproportionate use of force was applied during the arrests.
source:malaysiakini
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