Court acquits Priok defendant<\/p>\n
Sari P. Setiogi, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Former Jakarta military commander Maj. Gen. (ret) Pranowo
\nimplicated in a massacre 20 years ago walked free on Tuesday,
\nleaving a big question mark over the trial of his subordinate who
\nnow commands the army's elite special forces.<\/p>\n
Maj. Gen. (ret) Pranowo fell to the courtroom floor and kissed
\nit upon hearing the not guilty verdict, which meant that he did
\nnot share the fate of then-North Jakarta military commander
\nRudolph Butar Butar. On April 30, Butar Butar was sentenced to 10
\nyears for his role in the Priok riot in which at least 24 people
\nwere killed and 170 were alledged to have been later tortured by
\nthe Military. Butar Butar is still free pending his appeal.<\/p>\n
\"Not guilty, legally and convincingly\", presiding judge
\nAndriani Nurdin told the hearing of the ad hoc human rights court
\nin Central Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Prosecutors had sought a five-year sentence for Pranowo for
\n\"gross human rights violations\" in the case of the 1984 Tanjung
\nPriok riot. He was charged of failing to stop his men from
\ntorturing about 170 prisoners at two military police stations, in
\nGuntur, Central Jakarta and Cimanggis, east of Jakarta, following
\na mass protest in the area near North Jakarta's port.<\/p>\n
But the court said evidence was lacking as witnesses among the
\nformer prisoners had withdrawn their testimonies, saying they had
\nspoken \"under duress\" because of \"strong emotions\" against the
\nMilitary.<\/p>\n
\"A witness who claimed he was held in a one-square-meter jail
\ncould not show the exact location,\" the judge said.<\/p>\n
On the night of Sept. 12, 1984, soldiers had fired gunshots at
\nprotesters who demanded the release of four detained Muslim
\nactivists. They had led a protest against the state ideology of
\nPancasila and the government program of family planning, saying
\nthat it was against their beliefs.<\/p>\n
An investigation by the National Commission on Human Rights,
\nwhich followed demands of the reformasi movement to investigate
\npast human rights violations, concluded that at least 24 people
\nwere killed and 54 injured in the shootings.<\/p>\n
The latest verdict makes it increasingly unlikely the court
\nwill grant the prosecutor's demand of 10 years jail for Pranowo's
\ndeputy, Sriyanto Muntrasan.<\/p>\n
Now a major general commanding the special forces (Kopassus),
\nhis uniformed men have crowded the court room \"in solidarity\"
\neach time their commander appeared on trial; and court officials
\nand judges appeared to forget to reprimand Sriyanto's men when
\nthey carried their weapons into the courtroom.<\/p>\n
Judge Andriani said Pranowo might be guilty of \"ordinary
\nrights abuses\" but said these abuses were \"beyond the court's
\njurisdiction.\"<\/p>\n
Pranowo was calm ahead of the reading of the verdict. Last
\nmonth after hearing the prosecutor's demand for the 10-year
\nsentence he said he was optimistic he would be freed.<\/p>\n
Tuesday's decision follows on the heels of the acquittal last
\nweek of four high-ranking security officials in another high
\nprofile case involving atrocities in East Timor in 1999.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/court-acquits-priok-defendant-1447893297",
"image": ""
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