Activists appeal to Supreme Court

JAKARTA (JP): The leader and activists of the unrecognized Democratic People's Party (PRD) convicted of subversion filed an appeal to the Supreme Court yesterday.

The PRD's chairman, Budiman Sudjatmiko, and activists Garda Sembiring, Yakobus Eko Kurniawan, Ignatius Damianus Pranowo and Suroso were convicted of subversion by the Central Jakarta District Court.

Four other PRD activists -- Petrus Hari Haryanto, Ken Budha Kusumandaru, Victor Da Costa and Ignatius Putut Arintoko were found guilty by the South Jakarta District Court.

They are serving sentences of between 18 months and 13 years hial.

They appealed to the Jakarta High Court which rejected their appeals, upholding the verdicts against Budiman, Garda, Eko, Pranowo and Suroso on June 28, saying the Central Jakarta District Court's decisions were "correct and precise".

On Aug. 13, the Jakarta High Court upheld the South Jakarta District Court's verdicts against Ken Budha, Victor and Putut.

It increased the sentence given to the party's secretary general, Petrus Hari Haryanto, from six years to eight years in jail.

The Jakarta High Court is still processing the appeals of two other activists, Wilson bin Nurtiyas and I Gusti Agung Anom Astika.

The activists lawyer, Hotma Timbul Hutapea, said the appeals to the Supreme Court were made through Central Jakarta's Salemba detention center.

The PRD, a group of mostly young activists, rose to prominence last year when it took part in a free-speech forum at the Indonesian Democratic Party's disputed headquarters.

Its members went into hiding after the military blamed them for last year's July 27 riot in Central Jakarta. (05)