A Malaysian court on Wednesday freed two of the 10 activists imprisoned nearly two months ago under the country's Internal Security Act and directed police not to re-arrest them for at least 24 hours.
The High Court judge in Shah Alam, on the outskirts of the capital Kuala Lumpur, deemed the arrest of the two supporters of jailed former Finance Minister Anwar Ibrahim to be unlawful.
Judge Hishamudin Mohd Yunus, who earlier demanded that police produce N. Gobalakrishnan and Abdul Ghani Haroon from their cells, ordered the detainees' immediate release.
"Firstly, the two applicants are released. Secondly, the police are restricted from detaining them for 24 hours," he said.
Ghani and Gobalakrishnan are both members of Parti Keadilan Nasional (National Justice Party), which champions Anwar's cause.
Police accused the 10 detained men of planning violent protests aimed at bringing down the government.
Detainees held under Malaysia's tough security laws are not eligible for trial and can challenge their arrests only through habeas corpus applications.
Lawyers for the other detainees have so far failed to get their clients produced in open court, although appeals continue.
Under the controversial laws, police can detain anyone deemed a threat to national security for 60 days and, thereafter, for two years if the government wishes.
The 60-day review falls due on June 9 for the first of those arrested.
Officials from the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM) said the 10 detainees appeared fit and alert during meetings with the prisoners on Tuesday.
Opposition leaders say the arrests were part of a political crackdown aimed at silencing Anwar's most vocal supporters.
Anwar is serving a 15-year jail sentence for corruption and sodomy charges he says were fabricated by Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's allies. The prime minister denies any conspiracy to frame Anwar -- SHAH ALAM, Malaysia (Reuters)
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