George immune from extradition: Oetojo<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Justice Oetojo Oesman says academic
\nand human rights activist George Aditjondro cannot be extradited
\nfrom Australia, despite a request from the Indonesian government.<\/p>\n
Speaking to reporters after signing a treaty for mutual
\nassistance in criminal matters between the Indonesian justice
\nminister and Australian Attorney General Michael Lavarch, Oetojo
\nsaid yesterday that political crimes are ruled out as a basis for
\nextradition in the Indonesia-Australia extradition treaty.<\/p>\n
"George Aditjondro, who is wanted by the Indonesian government
\non political charges, cannot be extradited from Australia,"
\nOetojo said.<\/p>\n
George, who is still listed as a staff lecturer at Satya
\nWacana Christian University in Salatiga, Central Java, earned
\nofficial wrath for publishing a study on the political situation
\nin East Timor which the authorities said contained inaccuracies.<\/p>\n
He is also wanted by Yogyakarta police on charges of
\ndiscrediting the Indonesian government during a seminar at the
\nIndonesian Islamic University in August 1994.<\/p>\n
George, 49, who is currently lecturing in Asian studies at
\nPerth's Murdoch University, has expressed a willingness to become
\na permanent resident of Australia.<\/p>\n
George is one of the three people who Chief of General Affairs
\nof the Armed Forces Lt. Gen. Soeyono has said is an activist of
\nthe communist "formless organizations" that have been blamed for
\nlaunching provocative actions against the government.<\/p>\n
The other two are author Pramoedya Ananta Toer and labor
\nleader Muchtar Pakpahan.<\/p>\n
George has denied being a communist.<\/p>\n
Lavarch said the treaty will allow both countries to request
\nand receive assistance on a range of important criminal law
\nenforcement processes.<\/p>\n
"The treaty will include the taking of evidence, the searching
\nand seizing of documents and material, the arrangements for
\nwitnesses to give evidence or assist in investigations, service
\nof documents and the restraint, forfeiture and confiscation of
\nthe proceeds of crime," Lavarch said.<\/p>\n
He said that the treaty will build on the existing extradition
\nrelationship between Jakarta and Canberra.<\/p>\n
The extradition treaty, which rules out extradition for
\npolitical criminals, was signed on April 22, 1992.<\/p>\n
Lavarch said Indonesia was the second country in Southeast
\nAsian with which Australia has established a formal mutual
\nassistance relationship. "The first was with the Philippines in
\n1993," he said.<\/p>\n
"I am confident that this new arrangement will prove very
\nuseful for both countries' domestic law enforcement, as well as
\nin cases of transnational crime in the region," he said.<\/p>\n
Oetojo said there are 35 types of crime were covered in the
\nmutual assistance treaty, but did not say what they were.(imn)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/george-immune-from-extradition-oetojo-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}