Nessen sentenced, but finally freed<\/p>\n
Nani Farida, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh, Aceh<\/p>\n
William Nessen, the 46-year-old American freelance journalist
\ndetained in June while covering the separatist war in Aceh
\nprovince, was released on Sunday after spending 40 days in prison
\nfor immigration offenses.<\/p>\n
He left the provincial capital, Banda Aceh, at round 9:30
\na.m., bound for Jakarta on a Garuda plane before planning to fly
\nhome to New York. He was accompanied by his lawyer Amir
\nSyamsuddin, a U.S. diplomat and a relative.<\/p>\n
\"I am happy ... tomorrow, I will return to New York,\" Nessen
\nwas quoted by AFP as saying shortly after arriving at Soekarno-
\nHatta International Airport, Jakarta.<\/p>\n
He said that he was \"well\" and added he was happy \"everything
\nhas been settled ... there is no problem anymore.\" He left the
\nairport for an undisclosed location with Syamsuddin.<\/p>\n
Banda Aceh District Court sentenced Nessen on Saturday to one
\nmonth and 10 days in jail for immigration offenses. The time he
\nhad already spent in detention -- one month and nine days -- was
\ndeducted from the sentence, meaning Nessen could leave jail on
\nSunday.<\/p>\n
Asked whether he would write a book on his experiences on
\nAceh, Nessen said he would think about it as he had lost his
\njournalist's equipment when he surrendered to soldiers in June.<\/p>\n
\"At the time I had to escape quickly during a gunfight and
\nabandoned my belongings there,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Nessen accused the Indonesian Military (TNI) of confiscating
\nthe equipment. \"I hope the military will give me back all my
\nbelongings.\"<\/p>\n
Asked whether he would return to Aceh soon, Nessen said he
\nwanted to spend time with his parents in New York before making
\nany decision.<\/p>\n
\"I will have to think first about returning to Aceh,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Nessen was arrested on June 24 when he turned himself in to
\nthe military after traveling with members of the rebel Free Aceh
\nMovement (GAM) for three weeks.<\/p>\n
Known to have good relations with the rebels, he was convicted
\nof violating the terms of his visa by establishing contact with
\nGAM members.<\/p>\n
Nessen, who works for The San Francisco Chronicle and the
\nSydney Morning Herald, also failed to report his whereabouts to
\nauthorities and had an outdated home address on his visa, judges
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The military initially accused Nessen of spying for the
\nrebels, who have been fighting since 1976 for independence in
\ntroubled Aceh.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/nessen-sentenced-but-finally-freed-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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