Thai Court Acquits Australian Writer in Defamation Case

A defamation case against Australian writer Murray Hunter by Malaysia’s telecoms regulator has been withdrawn after mediation in Thailand, raising concerns over cross-border repression of free speech. Hunter, who faced charges related to articles published on his Substack newsletter, has retracted about 10 articles and received his passport back, allowing him to travel again. While the case is resolved, Hunter expressed dissatisfaction with the process, noting the ongoing threat of similar lawsuits. Human rights organizations have criticized Malaysia’s use of such legal actions to silence dissenting voices.

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