Drug defendant Zarina appeals for leniency

Drug defendant Zarina appeals for leniency

JAKARTA (JP): Lawyers of drug defendant Zarina Mirafsur told
the West Jakarta District Court on Tuesday that the prosecutors'
accusation was groundless as they had charged Ahian Santoso,
Zarina's acquaintance, with possession of the same drug.

During the court hearing, lawyers Petrus Bala Pattyona and
Paskalis Pieter demanded the panel of three judges to free Zarina
from all charges as the prosecutors failed to provide enough
evidence to prove the 0.3 grams of shabu-shabu (crystal
metamphetamine) had belonged to Zarina.

Petrus said the same court with the same prosecutors sentenced
Ahian, who was arrested along with Zarina in a hotel room, to two
years and six months in prison on April 12 this year.

"How can they (the prosecutors) now say it belongs to Zarina?"
he told the court.

The lawyers also asked the court not to be influenced by
public opinion when making their final decision on the case.

"Our client has already been judged strongly by the public,"
Petrus said.

The three-hour hearing ended at 3:45 p.m. and was attended by
some 150 people grouped in the People Against Drugs Movement
(Geram).

Geram's members, who mostly wore black T-shirts emblazoned
with the group's name, followed the entire session, which also
had Zarina read her 13-page defense statement.

Yahya Al Kaff, the head of Geram's branch in Cianjur, West
Java, told reporters that they decided to see the trial to find
out if the court was willing to deliver a stiff punishment.

Yahya, who is also a leader of Sindangsari Islamic boarding
school in Cianjur, said Zarina should be severely punished for
her role.

He said she also deserved the death penalty.

"Zarina is a drug dealer, and a drug dealer is a murderer," he
added.

Yahya warned that he would organize students from about 1,400
Islamic boarding schools in Cianjur, Sukabumi and Bandung to
stage a rally at the House of Representatives in August should
the court fail to deliver a harsh verdict.

Prosecutors earlier demanded the judges to sentence Zarina to
four years in jail plus pay a Rp 10 million fine for the alleged
possession of 0.3 grams of shabu-shabu seized during an arrest in
a hotel room on Nov. 11, 1999.

Shortly after the arrest, Zarina, who was on probation for a
previous drug charge, was sent back to the Tangerang Women's
Penitentiary.

In her defense statement, Zarina, wearing a pink maternity
dress, insisted that she was not a drug trafficker, nor an
addict.

"I'm just a victim of a (current) situation," said Zarina, who
is in her fifth month of pregnancy.

"Where should I fight for my rights if not in court? Don't
sacrifice me, please," she said, holding back her tears.

"My last hope is the real truth," Zarina said, hoping that the
judges would be lenient.

Outside court, she was mobbed by journalists, asking her who
was the father of the baby.

As in previous trials, Zarina refused to comment.

Presiding Judge Sri Handojo adjourned court until next
Wednesday when prosecutors are expected to make their closing
remarks on Zarina's and her lawyers' defense statements.(08)