Commission III: Panel's Decision to Spare ABK Fandy Ramadhan from the Death Penalty Should Serve as a Reference

Jakarta — A member of Commission III of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Nasyirul Falah Amru, said that the Batam District Court panel’s decision to spare defendant Fandy Ramadhan, an ABK involved in a narcotics case, from the death penalty sought by prosecutors, is worthy of praise. The politician, who is commonly known as Gus Falah, said the panel’s ruling used an ‘evidence-based justice’ approach. He argued that the panel had implemented Article 5(1) of Law No. 48 of 2009 on the Judiciary, which obliges judges to explore, follow and understand the legal values and the sense of justice that live in society.

‘The panel is very apt to reflect on the phenomena developing in society regarding Fandy Ramadhan’s role; this should serve as a reference for examining judges handling cases that attract public attention, so that they truly implement Article 5(1) to ensure the sense of justice is obtained from the cases they decide,’ Gus Falah said on Saturday, 7 March 2026.

Gus Falah also praised the Batam District Court panel’s sensitivity in this matter, noting its attention to public phenomena with complete independence, without interference from anyone. He emphasised that Commission III of the DPR RI is committed to paying attention to cases that attract public attention.

‘That is important so that justice in society can be made clear and that every citizen receives justice in accordance with the facts and their actions,’ he said.

Earlier, the Batam District Court panel handed down a five-year prison sentence for Fandy in the case of alleged smuggling of the narcotics methamphetamine (‘sabu’) weighing almost 2 tonnes.