PUTRAJAYA, Dec 6 — The Court of Appeal has set Feb 2, next year for hearing of student activist Adam Adli Abdul Halim’s appeal against his conviction for sedition.

The prosecution is also cross-appealing against the High Court decision in substituting the 12 months’ jail sentence imposed on him by the Sessions Court, with a fine of RM5,000.

A three-man panel led by Justice Datuk Wira Mohtarudin Baki fixed the hearing date after the matter was mentioned before the court today, pending the decision in another sedition appeal in the case of Muhammad Safwan Anang.

Deputy public prosecutor Nurshafini Mustafha informed the court the prosecution would want to study the court’s verdict in Muhammad Safwan case.

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Mohtarudin, however, suggested to set the hearing date and on that day, the prosecution could decide if they wanted to withdraw their appeal or proceed.

He said one of the judges presiding on the Court of Appeal panel in Muhammad Safwan’s case was still on medical leave.

On July 18, the Court of Appeal’s three-member panel comprising justices Mohtarudin, Datuk Seri Zakaria Sam and Datuk Dr Prasad Sandosham Abraham reserved their judgment after hearing submission in the appeal by Muhammad Safwan, a former student activist, over his conviction for making a seditious speech at the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall in Jalan Maharajalela, Kuala Lumpur on May 13, 2013.

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The prosecution is cross-appealing against the High Court decision in substituting the 10 months’ jail term imposed on Muhammad Safwan by the Sessions Court to RM5,000 fine, in default two years jail.

Adam Adli, meanwhile, was jailed 12 months by the Sessions Court on Nov 19, 2014 after he was found guilty of giving a seditious speech at a rally in the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall in Jalan Maharajalela, Dang Wangi here between 8.55pm and 11.15pm on May 13, 2013.

He is appealing against his conviction while the prosecution is cross-appealing against the High Court decision to substitute the custodial sentence with a RM5,000 fine.

Lawyer Melissa Sasidaran represented Adam Adli. — Bernama