Acquitted, Delpedro Demands the State Restore Honour and Dignity

Director of Lokataru Foundation Delpedro Marhaen has urged the state to restore the dignity and standing of himself and three colleagues after the panel of judges at the Central Jakarta District Court delivered an acquittal. Speaking after the reading of the verdict in the Kusuma Atmadja 4 courtroom of PN Jakarta Pusat on Friday afternoon, 6 March, Delpedro named Coordinating Minister for Law, Human Rights, Immigration and Corrections Yusril Ihza Mahendra, who since the case of alleged incitement had urged him to cooperate with the judiciary. ‘Today I want to address the Coordinating Minister for Law, Human Rights, Immigration and Corrections of the Republic of Indonesia, Yusril Ihza Mahendra, who when I was first arrested challenged me to face the judiciary as a gentleman, and now we have faced the judiciary and we have been declared not guilty and released!’ cried Delpedro. ‘On this occasion we also call on Yusril Ihza Mahendra and the state to restore and repair our honour and dignity, and to compensate for all losses we have suffered,’ he added. Delpedro revealed that for around six months he could not lead a normal life while in detention. ‘We were forced not to work, we could not resume our studies, we had to spend money on the trial and so on,’ he said. ‘Imagine, a person who was not found guilty later has spent six months in prison. Imagine legally that this works, imagine the injustice; what about other political detainees?’ he added. ‘He also urged the Attorney General not to pursue a cassation appeal.’ ‘We hope there will be no further legal recourse from the Prosecutor’s Office. We hope this becomes the final decision and can be accepted as a decision that safeguards democracy, freedom of expression,’ he concluded. Delpedro, Lokataru Foundation staff Muzaffar Salim, admin @gejayanmemanggil Syahdan Husein, and Universitas Riau student and Aliansi Mahasiswa Menggugat administrator Khariq Anhar were acquitted of charges of disseminating false information and incitement related to demonstrations in August last year that ended in rioting. The judge stated that Delpedro and the defendants were not proven to have invited or exploited children for the purposes of the military and/or other armed forces as charged under Article 76H in conjunction with Article 15 in conjunction with Article 87 of Law No. 35 of 2014 on Child Protection in conjunction with Article 55(1) 1 of the Indonesian Penal Code (KUHP). ‘Acquitting the defendants from all charges,’ said presiding judge Harika Nova Yeri when delivering the verdict at PN Jakarta Pusat, Friday (6/3). ‘Restoring the rights of the defendants in their capacity, status, honour and dignity,’ the judge continued.