Lawyers criticize regent's decision<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Lawyers representing suspects in the Bekasi rape
\nand robbery case say the plan to try the defendants at the civil
\nservants' hall, instead of the court building is against the law.<\/p>\n
\"Conducting the trial at a place other than a court is against
\nthe law,\" Petrus Bala Pattyona, one of the lawyers told The
\nJakarta Post here yesterday.<\/p>\n
Under the law, when the safety of defendants, lawyers, or
\nother participants in the trial proceedings cannot be guaranteed
\nin the local court, a trial can be moved to another court in
\nanother area. \"Why didn't the Bekasi authorities chose a Jakarta
\ndistrict court for the Acan case trial?\"<\/p>\n
Petrus said it would be wiser for the trial to be conducted in
\nJakarta, considering that he and fellow defense lawyers have been
\nterrorized by anonymous telephone calls since they filed a
\nlawsuit against the police for unlawful arrest in August.<\/p>\n
He said because emotions were running high in relation to the
\nAcan case among the public in Bekasi, conducting the trial in the
\narea was unacceptable.<\/p>\n
\"But if the government means to have the trial done in Bekasi,
\nwe will have to check the legality of the trial venue,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The Bekasi administration has decided that the trial of the 11
\ndefendants charged with robbing the house of Acan in Bekasi and
\nraping his wife and two daughters will be at the Bekasi civil
\nservants' building.<\/p>\n
The decision has been made because the Bekasi courthouse is
\nbeing renovated, court officials said.<\/p>\n
The public views the situation differently. Local people think
\nthe decision was made by the regency administration to prevent
\nincidents like those which occurred during the hearings on the
\nunlawful arrest suit filed against the Bekasi police two months
\nago.<\/p>\n
The crowd of courtroom visitors, most of whom were incensed at
\nthe nature of the crime for which the suspects had been arrested,
\nattacked their lawyers twice during those hearings.<\/p>\n
The defense lawyers then withdrew their lawsuit against the
\nBekasi police, saying that the authorities had failed to protect
\nthem.<\/p>\n
Petrus said that the criminal trial, which is supposed to
\nstart next week, will involve about 20 lawyers. \"But up to this
\ntime, we have not received the trial session schedule,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Yesterday Petrus and 30 of his colleagues filed a complaint
\nwith the National Commission on Human Rights, saying that the
\npolice and government officials had been harassing lawyers. The
\narrest and beating of lawyers who are defending clients are
\nunlawful actions, the lawyers told the commission yesterday. (03)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/lawyers-criticize-regents-decision-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}