Police authorities in Malaysia have launched an investigation into Al Jazeera journalists suspected of "sedition and anti-government actions" in connection with the publication of a story about the fate of illegal migrants who were massively arrested in the country during the COVID-19 pandemic, the online version of the Star newspaper reported on Tuesday.
"Since we received statements about the illegal nature of the report shown by the TV channel, we are obliged to conduct a thorough investigation, which should determine whether the actions of the suspects constitute a crime," Inspector General (chief) of the Malaysian police Abdul Hamid Bador told reporters in Kuala Lumpur, as quoted by the newspaper.
"Soon we will invite reporters of the TV channel, who will be asked a few questions. They will be investigated in accordance with the requirements of the criminal code of Malaysia and the law on anti-state activities. We will see if they will be charged after they answer our questions, " he said, noting that the police received not one, but several statements about journalists.
In a report published last week on 101 East entitled "Locked up in Malaysian lockdown", the channel described the fate of illegal migrants who were massively arrested by the Malaysian authorities at the height of the coronavirus pandemic and placed in immigration police temporary detention centers, where large outbreaks of the disease occurred due to crowding and imperfect ventilation systems. The program featured several released immigrants who were held in detention centers during the pandemic.
According to the newspaper, immigration authorities are currently searching for one of them, 25-year-old Bangladeshi citizen Raihan Kabir, in connection with a police investigation.
On Monday, in response to a demonstration of the report, Malaysia's Senior Security Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob publicly accused the channel of producing and distributing fake news and called on its management and employees to apologize to Malaysian citizens.
In connection with the investigation, which is under the personal control of the Inspector General of the Malaysian police, the Immigration Department of Malaysia reminded all foreigners living in the country on long-term visas and permits, the likelihood of revoking visas and permits if they spread statements that defame the authorities of the country, the newspaper reports.
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Based on materials from RIA Novosti