German journalist gets 10 months for visa offense<\/p>\n
M. Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
A German TV cameraman was sentenced to 10 months in prison on
\nThursday for violating his visa by doing business-related
\nactivities.<\/p>\n
The presiding judge at the South Jakarta District Court,
\nEffendi, handed down the sentence, less than the prosecutor's
\ndemand of 18 months, to Seyam Reda, a German citizen of Arab
\ndescent, after finding him guilty of violating the immigration law.<\/p>\n
\"The defendant was trying to set up a media service business
\nduring his visit to this country, even though he was aware that
\nall he had was a tourist visa, which granted him only a two-month
\nstay in the country,\" Effendi said.<\/p>\n
In his verdict, Effendi also said that the defendant had
\ntraveled to several towns in eastern Indonesia that had been
\nravaged by ethnic violence.<\/p>\n
\"He took some shots in conflict-prone areas such as Poso
\n(Central Sulawesi) and Ambon (Maluku),\" Effendi added.<\/p>\n
Reda was arrested in September last year for his suspected
\nconnection to the al-Qaeda terrorist network. He was caught by
\nthe police with documentary video tapes that the authorities
\nbelieved were recordings of military training in some troubled
\nregions in the country.<\/p>\n
The defendant's lawyer, however, denied that the documentary
\nwas proof of his client's complicity in terrorist activities.<\/p>\n
\"The tapes aren't anything special. They can be bought
\neasily,\" Budi Setiawan told journalists.<\/p>\n
Setiawan said his client was guilty only of a visa violation
\nand not for possession of the tapes.<\/p>\n
\"He (Reda) was involved in journalistic activities without
\nproper authority, such as the possession of an ID card, when in
\nfact he was only a freelance cameraman. That is what he is guilty
\nof,\" Setiawan said.<\/p>\n
Saying that the charge was only a visa violation, his team of
\nlawyers said Reda should not be imprisoned.<\/p>\n
\"The verdict is too severe and we will appeal within a week,\"
\nSetiawan told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
Law No. 9\/1992, Article 50 on immigration stipulates that
\nimmigration abuses may incur a sentence of up to five years in
\nprison and a fine of Rp 25 million.<\/p>\n
In late December last year, the Banda Aceh District Court
\nsentenced Joy Lee Sadler, an American nurse, and Lesley
\nMcCulloch, a British lecturer, to four and five months in prison
\nrespectively for visa violations.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/german-journalist-gets-10-months-for-visa-offense-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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