Activists deplore light sentences in drug cases<\/p>\n
Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan<\/p>\n
Law enforcers in North Sumatra have failed to uphold the law in
\nthe fight against the use and sale of illicit drugs, with a
\nnumber of controversial verdicts handed down by judges trying
\ndrugs cases here lately, a legal activist said on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
The secretary-general of the Anti-Drug Movement (GAN),
\nZulkarnaen Nasution, said the judges had lost their sense of
\njustice with their failure to punish the violators accordingly.<\/p>\n
He cited a verdict issued on Tuesday by a panel of judges of
\nthe Medan District Court, led by Anwar Zahri, which sentenced Lim
\nBun Pin, alias Apin, to one year in prison for possessing 21,787
\necstasy pills. Previously, the prosecutors had demanded the death
\nsentence.<\/p>\n
A week ago, another panel of judges from the same district
\ncourt sentenced Joseph Karanja Kamu from Kenya to 15 years in
\njail for brokering a heroin transaction involving 800.15
\nkilograms. The prosecutors had also demanded the death penalty.<\/p>\n
\"These light sentences will not deter drug dealers and users
\nfrom repeating their offenses, but will instead encourage them to
\ndo more,\" Nasution told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
Data from the North Sumatra provincial administration shows
\nthat there are 1,174 suspects in drug-related offenses for this
\nyear alone, 18 of whom are women.<\/p>\n
Nasution said poor performance by law enforcers in North
\nSumatra was not only dominated by judges as some police officers,
\nprosecutors and prison guards were also involved.<\/p>\n
\"All of this proves that law enforcement against the illegal
\nsale and abuse of drugs in North Sumatra has failed,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He cited the ongoing trial of Adj. Comr. Bakhtiar Sitinjak, an
\nofficer with the Medan Police Cadet School, who is facing the
\ndeath penalty for his role in trafficking drugs as an example.<\/p>\n
Lawyer Wanrinson Sinaga said the judges' controversial
\nverdicts have had a negative impact on the image of Indonesia's
\njudiciary.<\/p>\n
\"If the judges think that the defendants are not guilty, they
\nshould just drop all charges and not give them light sentences,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
The head of the Medan District Court, Soltony Mohdali,
\nhowever, declined to comment on the judges' controversial
\nverdicts, saying that journalists should directly ask the judges
\nthemselves.<\/p>\n
\"I cannot justify whether the verdicts were controversial or
\nnot because they were made on the judges' consideration. So you
\nshould ask them directly,\" Soltony said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/activists-deplore-light-sentences-in-drug-cases-1447893297",
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