Defendants in July 27 riot case to file complaint

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)