"Malaysia Prosecutes Two for Offending Religious Sentiments in Banned Film"

Two Malaysian filmmakers have been charged with "wounding the religious feelings of others" for their now-banned independent film "Mentega Terbang," which explores a Malay Muslim teenage girl's exploration of religion while her mother battles a terminal illness. The charge carries a potential jail term of one year and a fine. The government banned the film in September following criticism from conservative Muslim groups, prompting the filmmakers to plead not guilty and file a legal challenge against the ban. Human Rights Watch has criticized the prosecution as a violation of freedom of expression and urged the government to lift the ban on the film.