Lecturer assailants get one year

Theresia Sufa, Bogor

The Cibinong District Court sentenced on Wednesday the two assailants of Reny Chandriachsja Suwarso, a Social and Political Studies lecturer at the University of Indonesia, to a year in prison and a probationary period of 15 months each.

Presiding judge Djoko Soeseno read out the verdict finding defendants Herryansah Iberamsjah, 29, a social and political studies researcher, and Nirwansyah Iberamsjah, 23, a law and technology researcher, guilty of violating Article 351 of the Criminal Code on assault.

Considering the defendants' refusal to admit to their wrongdoings, as well as the mitigating factor that the felony was their first offense, the court sentenced them both to a year in prison, which the prosecution recommended.

The two brothers, however, will not be jailed, as long as they do not commit any other offenses within the probationary period.

The defendants accepted the verdict.

Wednesday's trial was marked by a courtroom packed with students and lecturers to hear the verdict. The assault and ensuing trial had caused a division of opinion, and the audience sat in separate groups.

"It's really sad and embarrassing to see everyone present, yet separated like this," department secretary Anna Margaret said. "This is the fault of our superiors."

The assault on Reny was a consequence of an issue over the Sept. 23, 2003 appointment of the defendants' father, Iberamsjah, as Department of Social and Political Studies head, which caused a furor among the academic community. Opponents of the appointment accused the administration of violating university regulations.

Witnesses said the incident occurred as students who were holding a demonstration approached Reny and asked whether they could attend Iberamsjah's installment ceremony.

Reny went to speak to security guards on behalf of the students about whether they would be permitted entry to the ceremony, when she came across Herryansah, who punched her, and Nirwansyah attacked two students standing near Reny, Rheinhard Sirait and Yudi Fajar M. Wahyu.