U.S. urges RI to release Munir probe<\/p>\n
Deutsche Presse-Agentur, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The U.S. government urged Indonesia to release the results of an
\nindependent probe into the murder of a prominent rights activist,
\nand to prosecute all those involved in the crime, a statement
\nsaid on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
The U.S. State Department applauded the conviction of state
\nairline pilot Pollycarpus Budihari Priyanto, who was sentenced on
\nTuesday to 14 years in prison, but called on the government to
\nbring to justice others who the court said were involved.<\/p>\n
\"The judges concluded that the defendant acted as part of a
\nlarger conspiracy and urged Indonesian authorities to continue
\ntheir investigation,\" said State Department spokesman Sean
\nMcCormack in a statement.<\/p>\n
\"We encourage Indonesia's pursuit of justice for the murder of
\nMunir, and we are heartened by the court's call for further
\ninvestigation into this crime,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The State Department also urged the government to release the
\nconfidential report of a fact-finding team that reportedly found
\nothers, including members of the National Intelligence Agency
\n(BIN), may have been involved in the assassination of Munir, who
\nwas poisoned during a flight to Amsterdam in September.<\/p>\n
\"We encourage Indonesia to release publicly the Fact Finding
\nTeam's report and to take appropriate law enforcement measures
\nagainst any persons implicated in the crime,\" McCormack said.<\/p>\n
Munir, 38, a vocal critic of Indonesia's military for alleged
\nhuman-rights abuses in the conflictive provinces of Aceh and
\nPapua, died Sept. 7 of arsenic poisoning aboard a Garuda flight
\nbound for Amsterdam from Jakarta.<\/p>\n
The court said on Tuesday that Pollycarpus was \"not the only
\none behind Munir's death,\" and specifically cited discussions
\nbetween the pilot and another person through a cellular phone
\nbelonging to Muchdi Purwoprandjono, former deputy chief of BIN.<\/p>\n
Muchdi has admitted, in witness testimony in a previous court
\nhearing, to having owned the mobile phone, but said that he was
\nnot the only person using it.<\/p>\n
A group of dozens of rights activists rallied outside the
\ncourt building on Tuesday, accusing BIN of being involved and
\ncalling on President Bambang Susilo Yudhoyono to bring to justice
\nthe masterminds of the killing.<\/p>\n
Susilo established an independent body, consisting of 13
\nmembers from various backgrounds ranging from non-government
\norganizations to government officials, to investigate the case
\nafter allegations surfaced that the intelligence agency may have
\nbeen involved.<\/p>\n
Despite members of the fact-finding team saying their
\ninvestigation pointed to the involvement of certain intelligence
\nofficials and recommended a police investigation into their
\nsuspected connection in the case, Susilo has been criticized for
\nrefusing to release and act swiftly on the results of the probe.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/us-urges-ri-to-release-munir-probe-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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