Acehnese woman activist denies treason charges
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.