Press body named in defamation trial<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): A man on trial for defaming President Soeharto
\nby printing unlicensed Suara Independen magazine told the court
\nyesterday the printing order came from a private organization.<\/p>\n
Andi Syahputra, 32, told the South Jakarta District Court the
\norder to print 5,000 copies of the magazine came from Bimo and
\nSantoso, members of The Indonesian Society for Alternative Press
\n(MIPPA), whom he had known for years.<\/p>\n
He said he understood the magazine was to be distributed among
\nMIPPA members, legislators and universities.<\/p>\n
Andi said he asked another printery to do the job because his
\nwas busy. He said it was the fourth time he had done the job but
\nthe three previous editions had been printed at another
\nprinteries<\/p>\n
"I asked Zaiyan Putra's print shop to print the magazine as
\nsoon as possible because I was given only five-days to fill the
\norder," he said.<\/p>\n
He was arrested with Jazrul Zen, the owner of the printing
\nbusiness, in October after police raided the shop and confiscated
\n3,000 copies of Suara Independen.<\/p>\n
Responding to the judge's query about whether he knew the
\nmagazine's content, he said he had only read the first six
\narticles.<\/p>\n
One of them was an interview with Sri Bintang Pamungkas who
\nsaid he would challenge Soeharto in a direct presidential
\nelection. Bintang is an outspoken critic of the President's
\npolicies and a former member of the House of Representatives.<\/p>\n
The defense lawyer, Irianto Subiakto, later showed the judge a
\nletter from the head of MIPPA, who lives in Australia, saying the
\norganization was responsible for the content of the magazine.<\/p>\n
After the hearing Irianto showed copies of the letter to
\nreporters.<\/p>\n
"Any complaint should be addressed to us," said the letter
\nsigned by Benjamin Kurnia, the MIPPA chairman.<\/p>\n
The letter said that the MIPPA had ordered Andi to print the
\nmagazine and that he did it only in the interests of his
\nbusiness.<\/p>\n
It also said the magazine was still being published to uphold
\nthe rights of the Indonesian people free access to information.<\/p>\n
"The magazine is also printed in Australia, the U.S., and
\nEurope," it said.<\/p>\n
Andi was charged under Article 134 of the Penal Code which
\ncarries a maximum six years imprisonment. (13)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/press-body-named-in-defamation-trial-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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