The Malaysian High Court has ruled that the government and police were responsible for the enforced disappearances of Pastor Raymond Koh and Amri Che Mat.
Responding to the ruling, Amnesty International Malaysia’s research and advocacy officer, Nicole Fong, said: “This welcome landmark ruling is the first judicial recognition of enforced disappearance at the hands of the Malaysian authorities.
“The government must now ensure this decision marks the beginning of real accountability, not another cycle of delay and denial through drawn-out appeals.
“Enforced disappearance is among the gravest crimes under international law. Despite credible evidence of state involvement – including Suhakam’s 2019 findings that the Special Branch of the police was responsible for the disappearances – the government has made no meaningful effort to investigate or hold those responsible to account.
“The government must stop running from the truth and ensure full accountability for the enforced disappearances of both Amri Che Mat and Pastor Koh. Where there is sufficient evidence, the government must prosecute all those suspected of criminal responsibility in fair trials,” Fong added.
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“Amri Che Mat and Pastor Raymond Koh’s families have a right to know the truth of what happened to their loved ones. It is now urgent that the government fully investigate and publicly acknowledge the facts about their disappearances to ensure such crimes are never repeated.”
On 5 November, the High Court ruled that the government and police were responsible for the enforced disappearances of Koh and Amri, citing involvement by the Special Branch of the police.
Amri was abducted in 2016, while Koh was abducted in 2017.
The court awarded Koh’s family over RM37m and Amri’s family RM3.6m in damages and ordered the police to reopen investigations, with regular progress reports to the Attorney General’s Chambers.
Despite the ruling, the government announced plans to appeal the entire court decision involving both cases. – Amnesty Malaysia
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