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Malaysia blogger in hiding
Court drops sedition trial against prominent government critic.
Last Modified: 11 Nov 2009 07:52 GMT
Raja Petra is believed to have fled Malaysia fearing the government is determined to jail him [EPA]

A court in Malaysia has temporarily dropped the trial of a prominent blogger accused of sedition, because they do not know his whereabouts.

Raja Petra Kamaruddin, who runs the Malaysia Today website, is believed to have gone into hiding, possibly outside of Malaysia.

The trial which began in October last year stems from an article he wrote last year that allegedly implied the involvement of Malaysia's prime minister in the high-profile 2006 murder of a Mongolian woman.

Two policemen were sentenced to death in April for the killing, although the trial never established any motive.

Speaking to the Associated Press on Wednesday, Raja Petra said he would remain in hiding saying he still believes authorities are determined to put him behind bars.

"I think I'll continue from where I am in my attempts to bring down the government," he said from an unknown location.

The 59-year-old blogger has infuriated Malaysian authorities for years by publishing numerous claims of alleged wrongdoing by government leaders.

The government has denounced his allegations as lies.

If convicted of sedition, Raja Petra had faced up to three years in prison.

Source:
Agencies
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