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)