Journalist groups attack 'Trust' magazine verdict<\/p>\n
Emphasizing a failure to use the Press Law in a libel trial
\nagainst Trust financial and legal magazine, two journalists'
\norganizations blasted on Friday the Central Jakarta District
\nCourt's verdict, which was issued on Thursday.<\/p>\n
The Jakarta chapter of the Association of Independent
\nJournalists said in a statement that the verdict, based on
\nconsiderations relating to the Civil Code, was another abuse of
\njustice and press freedom.<\/p>\n
\"The use of legislation other than Law No. 40\/1999 on the
\npress has become a new threat to press freedom ... the South
\nJakarta District Court earlier fined Tempo magazine US$1 million
\nafter it lost a libel case filed by businessman Tommy Winata.<\/p>\n
\"We demand the Supreme Court stipulate the use of the Press
\nLaw in cases related to the media and journalists,\" stated head
\nof the organization's legal advocacy unit Ulin Na'im Yusron.<\/p>\n
Trust was fined Rp 1 billion ($114,942) for discrediting
\nbusinessman John Hamenda and his company PT Petindo Perkasa in an
\narticle titled, A gang of thieves hits state Bank Negara
\nIndonesia (BNI) published in its Oct. 1-7, 2003, edition.<\/p>\n
The article was made after the police arrested the businessman
\nfor his alleged involvement in a bogus credit scheme at the bank
\nthat caused Rp 1.7 trillion in state losses.<\/p>\n
Hamenda had demanded Rp 2.22 trillion in compensation for
\nmaterial and nonmaterial losses.<\/p>\n
Director of the Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA) in
\nJakarta Lukas Luwarso sent an open letter to the court,
\ncriticizing the legal considerations used in the verdict.<\/p>\n
\"In contemporary journalism work, printing the full names of
\nthe subjects mentioned in an article is allowed. Meanwhile,
\nobtaining a confidential document of a bank internal audit report
\nin investigative reporting is legal if it is in the public
\ninterest.\" -- JP<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/journalist-groups-attack-trust-magazine-verdict-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}