A Malaysian artist has been arrested for allegedly insulting the queen by posting a satirical playlist online, police said, fuelling concerns about a widening crackdown on freedom of expression. He was detained late Friday over a playlist he posted on Spotify which allegedly insulted Malaysia’s queen, Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah, police said. xFahmi is being investigated for breaking sedition laws, and faces up to three years if convicted under the act, Huzir said. Fahmi, 44, has had run-ins with the authorities before, and was jailed for a month in 2018 over the Najib cartoon. “Satire plays an important role in society as a space for commentary, discussion and debate on shared values.”

Source: The Guardian April 24, 2021 05:03 UTC