Prosecutors ask for five-year jail term for Pranowo<\/p>\n
Sari P. Setiogi, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Prosecutors demanded on Friday a five-year prison term for former
\nJakarta Military Police chief Maj. Gen. (ret) Pranowo for
\nallegedly failing to stop his men from torturing prisoners
\ncaptured following the Tanjung Priok incident in 1984.<\/p>\n
Prosecutor Roesmanadi said Pranowo let his subordinates
\ntorture about 169 suspects detained at two military police
\nstations in Cimanggis and Guntur.<\/p>\n
However, the prosecutors dropped their primary charges as they
\nsaid they found no evidence Pranowo had perpetrated gross human
\nrights violations against the civilians.<\/p>\n
\"Many of the witnesses withdrew their testimonies,\" Roesmanadi
\ntold the ad hoc human rights tribunal.<\/p>\n
Other witnesses had told the court they were kicked until they
\nfell on the floor and forced to do push-ups during their
\ndetention.<\/p>\n
In her testimony, a woman said she heard her brother's cries
\nof pain but she did not know what had happened to him.<\/p>\n
\"I saw my brother's face was full of bruises but there was no
\nmedical report about it,\" Roesmanadi quoted the woman as saying.<\/p>\n
The hearing was originally scheduled for June 30. However, the
\ntrial was adjourned as the prosecution was not ready.<\/p>\n
Pranowo is one of 13 serving or retired military officers
\nstanding trial for the shooting incident 20 years ago. The
\nincident took place when soldiers dispersed thousands of
\nprotesters in Tanjung Priok, North Jakarta. The protesters were
\ndemanding the release of four people who were being detained by
\nthe military after an earlier demonstration.<\/p>\n
An investigation by the National Commission on Human Rights
\nlater found at least 24 people were killed and 54 injured in the
\nincident.<\/p>\n
Other defendants include Maj. Gen. Sriyanto Muntrasan, now
\ncommander of the Army's Special Forces (Kopassus) and former
\nNorth Jakarta military commander Maj. Gen. (ret) Rudolf Butar-
\nbutar, who was earlier convicted and sentenced to 10 years in
\nprison for letting his soldiers commit the massacre. Rudolf
\nsuccessfully appealed the verdict and remains free.<\/p>\n
The court has twice canceled a session to hear the
\nprosecutors' sentence demands for Sriyanto. The next hearing is
\nscheduled for July 8.<\/p>\n
Pranowo's trial was adjourned until July 13, when he will be
\ngiven a chance to read his defense plea.<\/p>\n
Asked to comment about the case, Pranowo said he was
\noptimistic he would be acquitted.<\/p>\n
The trials are Indonesia's second attempt to bring soldiers to
\ncourt for rights abuses after the East Timor case. In the Timor
\ncase, a civilian militia leader received a 10-year prison term
\nbut military officers received lesser terms. Many of the military
\nofficers were later exonerated by a higher court.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/prosecutors-ask-for-five-year-jail-term-for-pranowo-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}