Pius, Andi refuse to testify in the trial of 11 elite troops
Pius, Andi refuse to testify in the trial of 11 elite troops
JAKARTA (JP): Pius Lustrilanang and Andi Arief refused on
Friday to testify in the trial of 11 elite troops accused of
abducting them and seven other political activists, citing their
suspicions that the legal proceedings were unfair and incapable
of truly solving the case.
The two activists said the prosecutor's charges failed to
address the torture they endured during their abductions, the
responsibility of commanding officers and the 13 other activists
still missing.
Pius told the court that he refused to testify because the
charges against the 11 defendants were incomplete. Andi said he
would testify only if President B.J. Habibie and Armed Forces'
Commander Gen. Wiranto first accounted for the 13 activists who
are still missing.
Andi said Lt. Gen. (ret) Prabowo Subianto, the defendants'
commander at the time of the abduction, was the one who issued
the order for the abductions and so he must be held responsible.
Prabowo admitted before the Military Honor Council ordering
the kidnapping of nine activists.
Andi said the Army's Special Force as a military institution
was also involved in the kidnappings because the activists were
detained, interrogated and even tortured at its headquarters in
Cijantung, East Jakarta.
He suggested that the 11 defendants be cleared of all charges
in exchange for the safe return of the remaining 13 activists.
The court also called activist Nezar Patria to the witness
stand on Friday.
Initially, Nezar refused to testify, eventually agreeing to
talk after Col. Susanto, who presided over the session, persuaded
him to testify.
After being sworn in as a witness, Nezar said, "I really have
the moral responsibility not to testify about the kidnapping
because I still don't know the whereabouts of my friends."
"To me, it would be better if the court stop trying these
eleven defendants altogether as long as the 13 other victims
remain missing," he said.
Nezar, in his testimony, said that he, along with Aan, one of
the still missing activists, was abducted at gunpoint by four men
from his house in the Klender housing complex at 7 p.m. on March
13, 1998.
He said that one of the four men pointed a gun at his head
when he asked where they came from.
He said he was then blindfolded and bundled into a car. After
driving for about an hour, he was brought into a room and
interrogated, receiving electric shocks during the questioning.
"I was interrogated about Andi's whereabouts. I was beaten and
I was electrocuted. This took place for three consecutive days
because I did not give them information about Andi ... my lips
were bleeding because of the electric shocks. I tried to scream
Allahu Akbar (Allah is Great) but they kicked me in the stomach,"
he testified.
He said that after being interrogated about his political
activities he was brought to the headquarters of the Jakarta
Police on March 15, 1998.
When the 11 defendants were brought into the courtroom, Nezar
pointed at one of the defendants, saying that he was the one who
had pointed a gun at his head.
The defendant rejected Nezar's testimony.
The National Commission of Human Rights recently called on the
Armed Forces leadership and the government to halt the trial,
claiming that it is an unfair proceeding.
Pius, Andi and Nezar were three of 23 activists who were
kidnapped months before former president Soeharto resigned from
office on May 21, 1998.
The other seven political activists who have since resurfaced
are Desmon J. Mahesa, Rahardjo Waluyo Djati, Faisol Riza,
Hendrawan, Mugianto, Aan Rusdianto and Haryanto Taslam.
The 13 activists who are still missing are Deddy Hamdun, Noval
Alkatiri, Ismail, Herman Hendrawan, Suyat, Petrus Bima Anugrah,
Yani Afri, Sonny, Ucok Munandar Siahaan, M. Yusuf, J. Muhidin and
Triyono. (rms)