Malaysia has retracted a criminal defamation complaint in Thailand against Australian journalist Murray Hunter, after he agreed to apologize and remove allegedly defamatory articles. The lawsuit had been criticized by rights groups as a threat to freedom of expression. The complaint originated from four articles on Hunter's Substack blog in April 2024, which accused Malaysia's communications regulator of power abuse.

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The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) had filed the suit, leading to Hunter’s arrest on September 29 last year at Suvarnabhumi Airport, Thailand. He was jailed overnight, released on bail, and barred from leaving Thailand during the legal process. The defamation charges carried penalties of up to two years in prison and a fine of 200,000 baht.

An initial evidence hearing set for December 22, 2025, was canceled, with mediation arranged for January 12. The mediation resulted in a settlement, requiring Hunter to issue an apology and remove the disputed content. Thai Lawyers for Human Rights handled the legal proceedings for Hunter.

PEN International expressed relief at the case's resolution but highlighted concerns over the use of transnational SLAPPs, emphasizing the danger of coordinated legal actions to suppress speech. They urged governments to avoid using defamation laws to stifle public discourse or facilitate cross-border oppression.

Looking forward, Hunter plans to author a book on SLAPP cases and collaborate with Thai rights lawyers to advocate for defamation law reforms in Thailand, transitioning it from a criminal to a civil issue. “I really don’t want any journalist to go through what I went through,” Hunter stated, emphasizing his commitment to preventing similar situations for others, reported Bangkok Post.

Key Takeaways

• Malaysia withdrew its defamation complaint after a mediated settlement.

• Rights groups criticized the case as a threat to free expression.

• Hunter aims to reform defamation laws and write about SLAPPs.

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  Adapted by ASEAN Now · Bangkok Post · 17 Feb 2026

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He should never have been arrested in Thailand for that Malaysian allegation in the first place. Major over reach. I also think that Chinese executive should never have been arrested in transit at an airport in Canada on U.S. allegations. These are obviously politically motivated arrests to placate neighbouring countries. Their alleged 'crimes' in the other countries are not sufficient to detain them in a third country. The whole system of interpol red alerts, etc., becomes meaningless if trivial arrests are made in third countries without standard international protocols.