KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia—Prosecutors filed a sedition charge Thursday against a student activist who had urged Malaysians to engage in street protests against the government over claims of election fraud.

The National Front coalition, which has governed since 1957, won May 5 general elections with a weakened parliamentary majority. Opposition leaders insist the coalition retained power through bogus ballots and other irregularities, but Prime Minister Najib Razak and electoral authorities deny manipulating the results.

Activist Adam Adli was accused of making seditious statements that included calling for people to "go down to the streets to seize back our power" while addressing a political forum after the elections. Sedition as defined by Malaysian law includes promoting hatred against the government.

The 24-year-old, who was arrested last weekend, pleaded innocent at a Kuala Lumpur district court Thursday. He was released on bail ahead of a hearing July 2.

He faces three years in prison and a fine if convicted in the first sedition case involving statements made after the recent election.


Hundreds of Malaysians have held peaceful demonstrations in recent days against Adam's arrest. Adam first became publicly known in 2011 when he brought down a flag bearing Najib's portrait at the ruling party's headquarters during a demonstration. He was subsequently suspended for three semesters from his teaching course at a Malaysian state-backed university.