Green activist appeals over 'unfair' verdict

Green activist appeals over 'unfair' verdict

Nani Afrida, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh

Aceh environmental activist Bestari Raden, who has been found
guilty of subverting national security and public order, has
vowed to challenge the court's verdict.

One of Bestari's lawyers, Nurul Ikhsan, said on Tuesday his
client, who was sentenced to two years and six months in jail,
had pleaded not guilty, and would keep seeking justice.

"We are going to use every possible legal means to challenge
the verdict, which is unfair. Bestari is only a rights and
environmental campaigner," Nurul said.

Under Indonesian law, a verdict can be appealed up to Supreme
Court level. If that fails, the defendant can ask for a review of
the case and seek presidential clemency.

The South Aceh District Court found Bestari, 45, guilty for
his involvement with the Free Aceh Movement (GAM). The martial
law administration arrested him in March on the accusation that
he served as a GAM leader for the Tapak Tuan area in 2000. He has
been detained since then.

GAM has refuted the allegation, saying Bestari was not a
member of the movement.

Another lawyer representing Bestari, Bambang Antariksa, said
the panel of judges had ignored facts presented during the trial,
that showed his client was merely protesting against the
controversial Ladia Galaska Highway project, which would cut
through protected forest in Aceh and North Sumatra.

Bambang said prosecutors had presented witnesses who did not
see Bestari commit the alleged crime themselves, but heard about
it from other people.

"The verdict is far from just," Bambang said.

Bestari has appointed lawyers from Aceh's Advocacy Team for
Civil Society.

Bambang said his client was a civil servant, who had been
committed to conservation efforts, human rights advocacy and the
protection of local culture between 1999 and 2003.

"The legal process against our client is politically motivated
-- his past activities had nothing to do with rebellion," Bambang
said.

In its verdict, the South Aceh District Court convicted
Bestari under article 160 of the Criminal Code on provoking
people to commit treason, which carries a maximum jail sentence
of six years. Prosecutors had demanded five years in prison for
Bestari.

The panel of judges said Bestari took part in a raid conducted
by GAM rebels on Oct. 8, 2002, in Lhok Kruet and Lamno villages
in West Aceh regency.

The defendant was also convicted of involvement in an arson
attack in 1999 on the base camp of a local timber company PT
Medan Remaja Timber (MRT), which held the concession to exploit
forest areas in Kubang Gajah village in South Aceh.

Bestari was arrested by local police for organizing a rally
against PT MRT on allegations that the timber company had
plundered protected forest. He was released after a round of
interrogations, during which, he claims, he was tortured.