Defendants in July 27 riot case to file complaint

JAKARTA (JP): The 124 people charged in connection with the July 27 riot would file a complaint against the people they said attacked the Indonesian Democratic Party's (PDI) headquarters, their lawyer said yesterday.

Lawyer Nursyahbani Katjasungkana said the defendants were motivated by the prosecutors' decision to drop assault charges at the Central Jakarta District Court.

The prosecutors have also sought to drop all charges against eight of the defendants.

Nursyahbani said this had encouraged the defendants to file the complaint because they feel the attackers should be the ones on trial.

She said if her clients were acquitted she would file a wrongful arrest lawsuit against the police.

The defendants are all supporters of Megawati Soekarnoputri, the deposed PDI chairwoman.

Veterinarian Soekartono Widjojo Putro, representing fellow defendants, said this week in the defense statement that the defendants were not the attackers.

The defendants are charged with assault injuring four people, including two police officers. They are also charged with disobeying a police order to disperse.

The National Commission on Human Rights says five people were killed and more than a hundred wounded in the July 27 riot.

Lawyer R.O. Tambunan, the chief of the defense lawyers team which calls itself Defenders of Indonesian Democracy, said if his clients were found not guilty they would demand compensation from the government.

"Some women among Megawati's supporters were also sexually harassed by Soerjadi's supporters before they were arrested," Tambunan said. Soerjadi is the government-recognized PDI chairman.

He said the lawsuit would also include sexual harassment claims.

Tambunan said if he considers the judges' verdict unfair he would appeal to the Jakarta High Court.

He said he would send a report on the case to President Soeharto to give him first hand information. "The local media reporting the case have so far been misinformed by the police and government-appointed prosecutors," he said.

Lawyer Luhut Pangaribuan said the lawyers would demand that police restore Megawati supporters' reputations if they were found not guilty.

He said most of the defendants had lost their jobs during their detention, causing their families great suffering. (07/05)