Permadi gets seven months for blasphemy
Permadi gets seven months for blasphemy
YOGYAKARTA (JP): The Sleman district court sentenced
controversial soothsayer Permadi Satrio Wiwoho to seven months
jail yesterday after convicting him of blasphemy for describing
Prophet Muhammad as a "dictator" during a seminar here last year.
The council of judges said in delivering its verdict that
Permadi had sown enmity and hatred towards Islam in the comments
he made at a seminar at Gadjah Mada University on April 28, 1994.
"Permadi was guilty of denigrating Islam, by deliberately
describing Prophet Muhammad as a dictator," Presiding Judge Ismed
Ilahoede said.
Meanwhile, some 3,000 supporters of Permadi demonstrated
outside the court.
"Long live Permadi! If Permadi has to face trial, why is
someone who has committed a similar offense spared?" one
protester shouted.
Yesterday's eight-and-half hour court session was also
attended by several government critics, including former Jakarta
governor Ali Sadikin and Mulyana W. Kusumah of the Indonesian
Legal Aid Foundation.
Judge Ismed said that Permadi's remarks could, without any
doubt, ruin national unity because they could undermine
harmonious co-existence.
"The word 'dictator' has a negative connotation. Islamic
government under Prophet Muhammad cannot be likened to modern
political systems, even though Permadi meant to praise the
Prophet as a good dictator," he said.
He said that Permadi had insulted Islam by saying, during the
seminar, that Prophet Muhammad's seventh century Islamic
government had failed to establish a just and prosperous society
because it was continuously involved in wars and killings.
Ismed added that Permadi had not tried to use other, more
neutral terms in describing the Islamic government.
"Permadi spontaneously called Prophet Muhammad a dictator,
without realizing that it hurt Moslems' feelings," he said.
He said the evidence was sufficient to support a conviction
under article 156a of the Criminal Code. The article states that
anyone who publicly sows enmity and hatred towards a certain
group, including a religious community, is liable to a maximum of
five year's imprisonment.
The court's decision was five months shorter than the term
demanded by Chief Prosecutor Dony Kadnezar, who earlier demanded
the court sentence Permadi to one year's imprisonment.
Dony said he would appeal.
Ramdlon Naning, one of Permadi's lawyers, said the court
should release his client tomorrow.
According to criminal code procedures, an accused or a convict
can only be detained for a total of 90 days.
"If there is no warrant to extend the court's custody over
Permadi, the court has to release him tomorrow because the
court's custody period will end tomorrow," Ramdlon told The
Jakarta Post by phone last night.
He said Permadi would also appeal.
After the sentencing, Permadi said he was disappointed by the
verdict, which he described as "unfair".
He said the council of judges had ignored the fact that all
but one of the witnesses called, which numbered more than a
dozen, had testified in his favor.
"Almost all of the witnesses said they believed that my
statement at the seminar was wholly well-intentioned," he said.
A Supreme Court decree requires that the High Court hear
appeals within six months of lodgement. (02/imn)