PRD leaders 'yet to appeal' to Supreme Court
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)