Actress Ratna unable to present lawsuits on police

JAKARTA (JP): The hearings of lawsuits filed by popular stage actress Ratna Sarumpaet and five other people against the police were postponed yesterday because the police did not release the plaintiffs from detention.

Ratna and the five others -- Ratna's daughter Fathom Saulina, reporter Ging Ginanjar, lawyer Alexius Surya Tjahaya and activists Jul Taher and Nandang Wirakusumah -- were among nine people arrested on March 10 for holding the so-called Indonesian People's Summit in Ancol, North Jakarta.

The plaintiffs are suing the North Jakarta police chief and the city police chief over their arrest and detention.

Three judges -- Suparto, Ismail L. and Pandapotan Sinaga -- decided to adjourn the trial for one day after calling the plaintiffs three times but no one entered the courtrooms.

The dozens of people packing the court were disappointed by the postponement.

The head of the court, Sihol Sitompul, said the postponement was made after the police asked the court to send a special letter to the city police headquarters, not just a summons letter to the plaintiffs, to allow the detainees to attend the hearing.

"We agreed to send the letter to the police, asking them to release the plaintiffs tomorrow," Sitompul said.

Lawyers representing the plaintiffs went to the Supreme Court after hearing the postponement. Hendardi, executive director of the Indonesian Legal Aid and Human Rights Association, protested the postponement even though it was just one day.

Hendardi said the police should have presented the plaintiffs since they had received the summons letter from the district court.

The plaintiffs' lawyers also sent a letter to the police yesterday saying: "There was no reason for the police not to bring the plaintiffs to the court.

He said the police had violated the plaintiffs' rights with the arrest, detention and the postponement of the hearings.

"We asked the Supreme Court to state that the City Police Chief was in contempt of court," Hendardi said.

The Supreme Court's secretary-general, Pranowo, welcomed the lawyers' complaint, saying that he would study the case.

Pranowo said that he had telephoned the district court's head and promised that today's hearings would proceed.

Ratna and the other plaintiffs are being charged under Article 5 of Law No. 5/1963 on politically related activities.

The plaintiffs received their warrants after being held for more than 24 hours by the city police, a violation of the law. (jun)