Gloom prevails at students' trials<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Gloom replaced commotion at the trials of 21
\nstudents charged with defaming President Soeharto at the Central
\nJakarta District Court yesterday.<\/p>\n
The news that the mother of one of the defendants had passed
\naway expressed itself in the form of silent courtrooms, which in
\nthe past were used as platforms to launch scathing attacks on the
\ngovernment.<\/p>\n
All 21 were clad in black when they turned up for their
\nhearings.<\/p>\n
"Why are you all wearing black?" asked Judge Sutrisno, who
\npresided at the trial, apparently unaware of the death.<\/p>\n
"We don't mean to disturb the hearing by wearing black
\nattire, your Honor. It is because we heard of the death of Adi's
\nmother yesterday. We ask you to adjourn the trial," Masduki,
\nspeaking on behalf of the defendants, told the judge.<\/p>\n
The request was granted and the trials were adjourned until
\nApril 9.<\/p>\n
The court also agreed to allow the bereaved Adi Kurniawan to
\nvisit his father and his mother's grave in Probolinggo.<\/p>\n
His mother passed away on March 12, but he was only informed
\nabout it last Monday, according to lawyers representing the
\nstudents.<\/p>\n
Frans Hendra Winarta, one of the lawyers said the defendant's
\nfather had intentionally kept Adi in the dark, fearing that the
\nnews would come as a shock to him.<\/p>\n
It was his sister who informed him through a letter sent to
\nthe Salemba detention center, where he has been kept since his
\narrest last December.<\/p>\n
"I believe that the death of Adi's mother has more or less
\nsomething to do with the trial," said Frans.<\/p>\n
Adi, a student at Darul Ulum University in Jombang, East Java,
\nis in the group of four whom the prosecution says are the worst
\noffenders in the defamation case. The other three are Masduki,
\nYeni Rosa Damayanti and Hendrik Dikson Sirait.<\/p>\n
The other 17 students are being tried in groups of six and 11.<\/p>\n
Defendants and observers at the three sessions held a minute
\nof silence to pay their respects to Adi's mother.<\/p>\n
The charges against the 21 rose out of a protest at the House
\nof Representatives last December in which they attacked the
\nPresident's record.<\/p>\n
The students demanded that Soeharto face an emergency session
\nby the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) to account for his
\nleadership.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, security was looser at the court yesterday, in
\napparent reply to the defendants' protest against the security
\npresence at the proceedings. Benches were also provided outside
\nthe court rooms to accommodate hundreds of supporters. (par)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/gloom-prevails-at-students-trials-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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