On 2 June 2020, woman human rights defender Sarasvathy Muthu, along with four othermembers from two organisations � National Union of Workers in Hospital Support and AlliedServices and Parti Sosialis Malaysia � were arrested whilst peacefully protesting in support ofcleaners working in state-run hospitals in Ipoh. On 4 June, all five protesters were charged andreleased on bail.Sarasvathy Muthu is a woman labour rights defender who has been at the forefront of human rightsmovements in Malaysia since she was a teenager, by organising unions for oppressed factoryworkers so that they could defend their rights. In the early 1990s she co-founded Alaigal, acommunity based organisation in Perak which focuses on labour rights issues. As part of her workshe has gathered and organised communities across various sectors, including plantation workers,squatters, farmers and workers, educating them on their rights and empowering them to voice theirstruggles.On 2 June 2020, Sarasvathy Muthu and four others, V. Santhiran, L. Danaletchumi, P. Jody and CSubramaniam, gathered on the grounds of the Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital to peacefullyprotest the poor working conditions for cleaners in state hospitals. The defenders wanted to drawattention to the lack of sufficient protective equipment for cleaners and the risk of infection,particularly in the context of COVID-19. Muthu and the group of protesters had been peacefullydemonstrating outside the hospital with placards for an hour before they were arrested. On 3 Juneall five defenders were released as the police were unable to obtain a remand order. On 4 June 2020, Sarasvathy Muthu and the four protesters were charged by a Magistrate Court inIpoh with obstructing a public servant and negligence in the spread of an infectious disease(sections 186 and 269 of the Penal Code), and defying the conditional movement control order(Regulation 7 (1) of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Regulations 2020),implemented in the context of COVID-19. The COVID-19 related charge carries a maximum fine ofRM1,000 or imprisonment for up to six months, or in some cases both. The court granted bail to thefive defenders after the maximum fine was paid for each of them. The next court date is set for 9July 2020.Front Line Defenders condemns the charges against woman human rights defender Sarasvathyand her fellow protestors, which it believes are solely motivated by their peaceful human rightsactivities and exercising of their right to freedom of peaceful assembly and expression.