Abduction cases go to court Wednesday
JAKARTA (JP): The trial of 11 military members who are defendants charged with involvement in the abduction of activists will start Wednesday at the military court.
The Coordinator of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence, Munir, told The Jakarta Post Monday that he was informed of the trial date from a subpoena from the military prosecutor sent to former abduction victim Andi Arief. Andi has been requested to testify at Wednesday's trial.
Kontras has repeatedly said the fate of remaining missing people, which Kontras now lists as 13, should be made clear before a trial starts.
Meanwhile Antara reported Monday from Bandarlampung that Andi, 28, was quoted by his lawyers as saying he has yet to decide whether he will testify.
Andi, an activist of the People's Democratic Party (PRD), which was banned under the former government, and chairman of the Indonesian Students' Solidarity for Democracy (SMID), was abducted in Lampung on March 28 this year.
On April 17 the graduate of the Gadjah Mada University of Yogyakarta was released and handed over to the Jakarta Police Headquarters. He was then detained on charges of involvement in a bomb explosion at a low cost apartment complex in Central Jakarta.
The agency quoted Andi's lawyers at the Bandar Lampung Legal Aid Office as saying that a summons dated Dec. 17 had been received by Andi from the prosecutor, Col. CHK M. Harom Widjaya to testify Wednesday morning at the military court on Jl. Sentra Primer Baru Timur, East Jakarta
His lawyers Iberahim Bastari, Abi Hasan Mu'an, and Alfian told reporters that Andi has repeatedly stated he will not testify or give any information to investigators before the fate of the remaining missing people is revealed.
Among them several were reported to be missing since around last year's elections in May while Andi himself was the last to be abducted.
Andi was among an earlier list of 24 missing persons, according to Kontras. Nine were released this year and reported torture at the hands of their abductors.
His lawyers said he was asked to testify in trials against the 11 members of the Army's special force: Bambang Kristiono, identified as a major and former commander of the force's battalion 42 group 4, and 10 other officers, the agency said. Their identities have never been revealed.
Promise
The lawyers said Andi left for Jakarta after receiving the letter but had yet to make a decision, pending his meetings with other PRD activists.
One of the lawyers, Iberahim, said Andi was still consistent in demanding that the military police keep their promise in confronting families of the missing people with their alleged abductors. The promise was made by then commander of the National Military Police Maj. Gen. Syamsul Djalal who has now retired.
Even if Andi decided to go the military court, it would be to reiterate these demands rather than testify, the lawyers said.
Andi has said he has already given his testimony to the police.
The lawyers said they fully supported their clients' demands for a transparent trial of those involved in the abduction cases, including the revelation of the role of discharged Kopassus commander Prabowo Subianto.
"There should be no impression that the trial is rigged to cover up or save certain parties," Iberahim said, adding the fate of the missing people must immediately be revealed. (anr/byg)