Lawyer Rosli Dahlan disclosed that during the next mention for Kassim at the Putrajaya Syariah High Court next Monday, January 18, he will ask the court to give his client a discharge and acquittal. “Last month, the Court of Appeal ruled the religious prosecution against him was illegal,” he explained. “No stay was applied by the Attorney General Chambers to the appeals court maintain the prosecution in the Syariah Court.”

“The senior federal counsel also approved an order containing an endorsement that the Syarie chief prosecutor withdraw the charges.”

On whether Jawi had filed any appeal to challenge last month’s decision, Rosli said “so far we did not receive any notice of appeal from Jawi”.

Jawi has until January 22 to challenge the appeal court’s ruling.

On December 21 last year, Kassim won his bid to challenge his 2014 arrest and prosecution by Jawi for allegedly disobeying a Federal Territories fatwa, with the appeals court declaring his arrest and prosecution illegal.

The three judges also unanimously ruled that fatwa from Federal Territories can only apply to its Muslim residents.

Previously, Kassim failed in a judicial review bid to challenge Jawi’s prosecution against him.

The High Court ruled that the case fell under the Syariah jurisdiction and that he should bring the case to the Syariah appeal court.