Four activists exonerated from demonstration charges<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Central Jakarta District Court pronounced
\nyesterday that four activists from the Indonesian Prosperous
\nLabor Union (SBSI) were not guilty of charges of holding an
\nillegal demonstration.<\/p>\n
The defendants -- Kuldip Singh, Widhi Wahyu, Wandy Nicodamus
\nTuturoong and Farah Diba Agustine -- were on trial for holding a
\nstreet rally on Jl. M.H. Thamrin, Central Jakarta on March 9.<\/p>\n
Presiding judge I.G.N. Nyoman Putra declared yesterday that
\nthe four were not guilty.<\/p>\n
\"The decision was made by the panel of judges without pressure
\nfrom any other party. It's not connected with the recent
\npolitical situation either and is only based on the facts of the
\ntrial,\" Putra said.<\/p>\n
He said the defendants did not violate Article 5 of Law No.
\n5\/1963 on political activities since the law, issued under
\nIndonesia's first president Sukarno, was no longer relevant to
\nthe current political situation.<\/p>\n
The court also declared that the defendants did not violate
\nArticle 218 of the Criminal Code for conducting an illegal
\ndemonstration and ignoring police orders to disperse.<\/p>\n
Only one witness, a police officer, testified that the
\ndefendants ignored the police order, he said.<\/p>\n
\"The police should actually use amplifiers, such as a loud
\nspeaker, to disperse the demonstrators. But they did not,\" Putra
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
He said the police officer arrested the defendants at a bus
\nshelter near the scene and ordered them to a nearby police office
\nfor questioning.<\/p>\n
\"The fact is, the defendants dispersed by themselves. The
\ndemonstration also did not disturb public order, such as by
\ncausing traffic congestion,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Putra said the names of the defendants would be restored and
\nthe cost of the trial would be borne by the state.<\/p>\n
Prosecutor Suhardi is still considering whether to appeal the
\ndecision.<\/p>\n
He earlier asked the court to sentence Kuldip, Widhi and Wandy
\nto three months in jail each and Farah to 15 days in jail for
\nignoring the police order.<\/p>\n
Kuldip, Widhi and Wandy had been detained for 47 days since
\ntheir arrest on March 9. Farah was held for 11 days.<\/p>\n
The defendants and their lawyers from the Indonesian Legal Aid
\nand Human Rights Association (PBHI) accepted the judge's
\ndecision.<\/p>\n
The four activists were the only defendants freed from the
\ncharges.<\/p>\n
In earlier trials, the city's district courts have jailed
\nactivists, such as actress Ratna Sarumpaet and hundreds of
\nsupporters of ousted Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) leader
\nMegawati Soekarnoputri, under the same charges of ignoring police
\norders. (jun)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/four-activists-exonerated-from-demonstration-charges-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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