PRD leaders 'yet to appeal' to Supreme Court

JAKARTA (JP): A lawyer representing the five Democratic People's Party (PRD) leaders convicted of subversion said yesterday that he would advise his clients to appeal to the Supreme Court.

Luhut M.P. Pangaribuan said the Jakarta High Court's decision to uphold the Central Jakarta District Court's verdicts was procedurally defective.

"For that reason the Supreme Court should order the high court to retry the case," he said.

Luhut said it was procedurally wrong for the high court to hand down its ruling before it had received the defendants' written appeals.

He said lawyers for the defendants could not get appeal documents from the district court until yesterday.

The five PRD leaders were found guilty in April of undermining the state ideology Pancasila and inciting students and workers to demonstrate against the government.

The five, Budiman, Garda Sembiring, Yakobus Eko Kurniawan, Ignatius Damianus Pranowo and Suroso, were sentenced to between seven and 13 years in jail.

Rulings

On June 23, the high court presided by Judge Supraptini Sutarto upheld the district court's verdicts and sentences.

Supraptini said later that the high court had found that the district court's rulings were "correct and precise".

Luhut said the lawyers would lodge a written appeal to the Supreme Court and send it a letter.

"We will tell the Supreme Court that the high court did not handle the case correctly or in accordance with legal procedure," he said.

Budiman, the PRD's chairman, said that he and his four colleagues had not decided whether to appeal.

Budiman said a decision would be made after all PRD leaders in jail discussed the matter.

"There is a big chance we will appeal," he said.

All five leaders are in Salemba jail.

Six other PRD leaders convicted on subversion charges are in Cipinang jail. They have been sentenced to between 18 months and six years in jail.

Meanwhile, lawyers presented their last defense statement for Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) legislator Aberson Marle Sihaloho who is standing trial on charges of insulting President Soeharto and state institutions.

The defense said that when Aberson criticized the government in a free forum at the PDI headquarters last year, he was doing his job by voicing people's aspirations.

"It is ironic that if Indonesia claims to respect people's sovereignty and uphold the supremacy of law... it prosecutes someone who was doing his job in the capacity demanded of him," the defense statement said.

Prosecutors have requested an 18-month prison sentence for Aberson. (05)