The agency said the incident, which occurred during a speech by Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission chief Azam Baki, appeared to involve peaceful expression, noting that the trio had since been released.

“Given that the act appears to fall within the scope of protected expression, the arrests raise important questions about how freedom of expression and peaceful assembly are interpreted and applied,” it said.

Suhakam said that as freedom of expression is a fundamental constitutional liberty, criminal action should be carefully considered to avoid discouraging its legitimate exercise.

On Tuesday, Azam was about six minutes into an address at the World Trade Centre when a protester appeared with a placard in front of the stage where he was speaking.

Another protester emerged seconds later from behind the stage, carrying a placard calling for Azam’s arrest, believed linked to his shareholdings case.

They were promptly escorted out of the hall by security personnel, with the disruption lasting just a short while.

The three were Mandiri coordinators Hamdin Nordin and Fakrurrazzi Khairur Rijal, as well as Liga Mahasiswa Malaysia activist Ahsanul Akmal Sulam.

In a separate statement, the G25 group of prominent retired civil servants expressed concern over the arrests and subsequent remand of the three youths, noting that the protest was non-violent.

G25 said the decision to remand them was excessive and warned it could raise broader questions about how dissent is treated.

“Simply requesting and escorting the youths to leave the venue would have been a sufficient and measured response. However, remanding them for three days was disproportionate.”

It added that the use of detention in such cases could have a wider impact on public engagement, particularly on issues related to governance and accountability.