Abduction cases go to court Wednesday

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)