Activists appeal to Supreme Court

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)