Rights commission yet to receive complaint on Tjetje<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The relatives of Tjetje Tadjudin, the robbery
\nsuspect who died while in Bogor police custody, have not yet
\nsought help from the National Commission on Human Rights, Marzuki
\nDarusman, the commission's vice chairman, said yesterday.<\/p>\n
A representative of Tjetje's family had said they would submit
\na formal request for help from the commission over his 'strange'
\ndeath.<\/p>\n
Marzuki said it was \"in the interest of the Armed Forces
\n(ABRI)\" to clear up all rumors, and doubts about whether an ABRI
\nofficer was involved. Investigations \"must be free of outside
\ninfluences or pressures.\"<\/p>\n
He was referring to an earlier statement by Armed Forces Chief
\nGen. Feisal Tanjung, who said no Armed Forces members were
\ninvolved.<\/p>\n
Marzuki said he hoped investigations would not be influenced
\nby the \"hasty\" statement on ABRI's position while investigations
\nwere still underway.<\/p>\n
Openness on ABRI's part would lead to a positive image, he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Tjetje's case reinforces the public impression that suspects
\nare in a weak position even though they have the right to a fair
\ntrial, and the right to be free from physical abuse, Marzuki
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
\"People are increasingly worried about having to deal with
\npolice,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Marzuki stressed the need for clarity in interrogation
\nprocedures, referring to suspicions that Tjetje was taken from
\nthe police to be interrogated by another party.<\/p>\n
\"The 'borrowing' and transfer of a suspect is a questionable
\npractice,\" Marzuki said. \"It might lead to serious violations of
\nhuman rights.\"<\/p>\n
Clarity on such practices would eliminate the unnecessary
\npossibility of shifting responsibility between different Armed
\nForces' departments, he said.<\/p>\n
Naturally, the police would be to blame if anything happened
\nto the suspect, he said.<\/p>\n
Besides legal uncertainties, Marzuki said a lack of clarity on
\nthis matter was resulting in a suspect's safety not being
\nguaranteed.<\/p>\n
The rights body has often found cases of people being arrested
\nwithout procedures being followed, he said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, lawyer Amir Syamsuddin expressed concern and
\nsurprise over the \"primitive\" actions involved in the death of
\nTjetje, referring to alleged interrogation by a third party.<\/p>\n
Interrogation by a third party of a police suspect is possible
\nif the suspect is an officer of another Armed Forces' department,
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
\"But there should be records of such a transfer,\" Amir said.
\nAlthough he was not sure of the specific rules on the matter he
\nsaid, \"any case of investigation by another party must be based
\non the criminal code\".<\/p>\n
Regarding torture, Amir said it was far from necessary in what
\nseems an ordinary robbery.<\/p>\n
\"Scientific procedures have significantly replaced torture in
\ninvestigations,\" he said.<\/p>\n
If proven, the torture raises questions about what
\ninterrogators were trying to prove. \"Something is missing here,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
In a climate heading towards more openness, both Amir and
\nMarzuki separately said the public would continue to question any
\nsign of concealed investigations. (anr)<\/p>",
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