Raja Petra Raja Kamaruddin Arrested on Charges of Sedition

While 15 May is set aside for Bloggers for Human Rights, the reality is that bloggers in many countries risk their safety every day to continue doing what so many of us spend weekends whining about incessantly.

Malaysian blogger Raja Petra Raja Kamaruddin, the editor of the news portal Malaysia Today, had his home raided on Friday, and was arrested and jailed on charges of sedition. The reason? He claimed in a blog post that Malaysia's Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak and his wife were somehow linked to the murder of Mongolian model Altantuya Shaariibuu in October 2006. She was murdered with explosives, and two members of Razak's security detail are currently on trial for the murder.

Malaysia Today notes that World Press Freedom Day was observed only three days ago, a concept that doesn't even register in many countries. Raja Petra refused to post bail, saying that he would spend the time until his schedule hearing on 6 October in jail. This, of course, turns him into a sort of folk hero in Malaysia, and draws even more attention to conditions in the Malaysian treatment of bloggers and traditional journalists. Raja Petra had also been under investigation last year after posts that some claimed were critical of both Islam and the king.

Under the relatively new Sedition Act, Raja Petra could be fined and/or sentenced to up to three years in jail. His wife acknowledges that the government has undoubtedly been monitoring his posts since the investigation last year, looking for an excuse to finally arrest him.