Budiman on trial next week

Budiman on trial next week

JAKARTA (JP): Budiman Sudjatmiko, the leader of the Democratic
People's Party (PRD) accused of masterminding the July 27 riots,
will go on trial next Thursday.

Budiman, who helped found the previously obscure youth
organization, will be tried at Central Jakarta District Court
along with four of his activist friends on charges of subversion,
which carries a maximum penalty of death.

Head of the Central Jakarta District Court I Gde Ketut
Sukarata said Tuesday he has appointed the judges for the trials.

"We've studied the three dossiers presented to us Monday and
set up three panels of judges," he said.

At least five people died in the riots that shook the capital
on July 27. The National Commission on Human Rights says 23 other
people are still missing, and has called on the government to
follow its finding up.

The four other activists to be tried along with Budiman are
Suroso, Ignatius Pranowo, Jakobus Eko Kurniawan and Garda
Sembiring of the Indonesian Students Solidarity for Democracy, an
affiliate of the PRD.

All five suspects are being detained at the Attorney General's
Office.

According to Sukarata, the presiding judge for Budiman's case
is Sjoffinan Sumantri, while the panel of judges trying Garda
Sembiring will be led by Judge Madnjono Widiatmadja. Judge Asmar
Ismail will be heading the panel trying Suroso, Ignatius Pranowo
and Jakobus Eko Kurniawan.

On Monday, the state prosecutors had also filed a dossier on
Muchtar Pakpahan, leader of the unrecognized Indonesian
Prosperous Labor Union, and on four other PRD members with the
South Jakarta District Court. The date for the trials has yet to
be determined. All of them are being charged with subversion.

Budiman and his friends will be defended by the Defense Team
of the Indonesian Law and Justice, led by Abdul Hakim Garuda
Nusantara, while Pakpahan will be defended by a team of lawyers
from his union.

In a press report yesterday, Budiman said he and his friends
had no idea yet what charges had been brought against them.

"I've asked the interrogating prosecutors about it during the
interrogation, but I got no answer," Budiman told visiting
members of the human rights commission, as quoted by Republika.

Budiman said almost 95 percent of the interrogation's focus
was centered on the content of his organization's political
manifesto, rather than on his alleged role in the riots. (08)