Journalists protest colleagues' jail term

BANDARLAMPUNG, Lampung: Hundreds of journalists and activists rallied here on Monday to protest the use of Criminal Code to imprison two local tabloid editors for defamation recently.

On May 4, the Bandarlampung District Court sentenced Koridor chief editor Darwin Ruslinur and managing editor Budiono Syahputro to nine months in jail and ordered their immediate imprisonment after finding them guilty of defaming local Golkar Party leader Alzier Dianis Thabranie.

However, Lampung High Court chief Rapotan Harahap ordered the district court on Thursday to delay the imprisonment of the editors, pending a legally binding decision handed down by the Supreme Court. -- JP