Activist to sue Prabowo over abduction incidents
Activist to sue Prabowo over abduction incidents
JAKARTA (JP): Now that he is a civilian, former Army Special
Force (Kopassus) chief Lt. Gen. (ret) Prabowo Subianto may have
to stand trial in a civilian court after one of the freed
abducted victims revealed plans to sue him.
Student activist Pius Lustrilanang is planning to sue Prabowo
for his alleged involvement in the abduction and torture of
activists.
"Pius is now working out a lawsuit against Prabowo," Trimedya
Panjaitan, Pius' lawyer, said as quoted by Antara in Semarang
Saturday.
Pius, the secretary-general of SIAGA, a loose association of
supporters of government critics Megawati Soekarnoputri and Amien
Rais, told the National Commission on Human Rights upon his
reappearance in April that he was abducted in February and
detained in a cell for two months.
Puis, who is one of nine activists to be released by their
abductors, was the first to go public with details of his
abduction.
Trimedya said other released activists -- Andi Arief, Desmond
H. Mahesa and Haryanto Taslam -- would also testify against
Prabowo if the case went to trial.
"All the victims experienced the same treatment by the same
people and in the same place.
"And the decision to sue Prabowo was made after Prabowo
admitted to involvement in the kidnapping of the nine activists
already returned home," he added.
Prabowo, a son-in-law of former president Soeharto, was
honorably discharged from active military service by the Armed
Forces (ABRI) Headquarters last week, upon his confession of
involvement in nine activists' abductions.
Together with Prabowo, two other Kopassus officers Maj. Gen.
Muchdi Purwopranjono and Col. Chairawan were released from their
structural duties also for reported involvement in the abduction
of activists.
Asked about the grounds for filing suit with a district court,
Trimedya said his client believed that a civilian trial would be
fairer and more transparent than a military tribunal.
Commenting on the planned lawsuit, law professor of the
Semarang-based Diponegoro University Satjipto Rahardjo said there
would not be any problem in taking a retired military official to
civilian court.
"The police must have strong evidence to support the
activist's allegations," he separately said.
A political observer at the National Institute of Sciences,
Hermawan Sulistyo, noted that the decision to release Prabowo
from military service resulted from an "extraordinary" compromise
by the Armed Forces.
"I've never, in Indonesian history, seen any high-ranking
military official put under an honor council's investigation," he
told Antara.
"ABRI chief Gen. Wiranto used a 'win-win solution' method to
settle the case."
"Internally, it will not cause problems, while externally
people are satisfied with the decision," he said.
Support for ABRI's decision also came from the Netherlands-
based Amnesty International human rights watch group.
"What ABRI has done so far is a profound understanding of the
past mistakes made under Soeharto's government," Venlely Verld,
Amnesty International's expert on Indonesia, said.
He said the decision to dismiss Prabowo from military service
and to release two other Kopassus officers from their structural
positions and duties would enable ABRI to restore its good image
in the eyes of the international community. (27/imn)