Acehnese woman activist denies treason charges

Nani Farida, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh, Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam

An Aceh woman activist denied on Thursday the treason charge leveled against her, saying she had campaigned for a referendum as part of efforts to settle the prolonged conflict in the province.

"A referendum is demanded by the Acehnese to end the conflict," Cut Nurasyikin told the Banda Aceh District Court.

Prosecutors are seeking a 14-year jail sentence for Nurasyikin for her role in a rally to demand a referendum in November 1999.

Prosecutors also have charged the woman with negotiating with Free Aceh Movement (GAM) rebels in December 2000.

Nurasyikin, who chairs the Srikandi Aceh non-governmental organization, was arrested at her house shortly after martial law was imposed in Aceh on May 19 of this year. Police accused her of leading Inong Balee, the woman's wing of GAM.

The same court sentenced another woman on Thursday to 22 months in prison for aiding GAM rebels.

Cut Murniati, 25, who is married to a GAM member, was found guilty of treason.

Presiding judge Maratua Rambe said Murniati admitted to having helped her husband, Saidi, alias Rano, a member of the GAM military wing.

After consulting with her lawyers, Murniati said she would not appeal the verdict.

Prosecutors had demanded 30 months in jail for Murniati.

In a separate courtroom, defense lawyers for GAM negotiator Teungku Sofyan Ibrahim Tiba asked the court to dismiss terrorism charges against their client because of a lack of evidence.

"Taking part in talks to settle the conflict in Aceh is a respectable task that would save thousands of lives," Adnan Buyung Nasution, who leads the team of defense lawyers, told the court.

Buyung said the level of violence in the province declined significantly after a peace agreement was signed in December last year and before martial law was declared.

"So the negotiations benefited the people. They should not be criminalized," he said.

The lawyers said there was no evidence that could be used to try their client on terrorism.

They said Law No. 15/2003 on terrorism could not be used against Sofyan because it is not retroactive. The defendant is charged with acts of terror that allegedly took place between June 2000 and his arrest days before the imposition of martial law in Aceh.

The terrorism law took effect early this year.