Reda faces 18 months in jail

Reda faces 18 months in jail

JAKARTA: State prosecutors demanded on Monday an 18-month jail
term for a German journalist, who is charged with violating his
visa.

Prosecutor Suharto said before the South Jakarta District
Court that Seyam Reda, 42, had violated the terms of his tourist
visa by working as a freelance cameraman in conflict zones.

"He is guilty of violating his visa. He is not allowed to work
as a journalist under a tourist visa," he said.

The trial was adjourned until Wednesday to hear Reda's final
statements.

Reda's lawyer Budi Setiawan said that the sentence demand was
ridiculous as Reda did not know that he was prohibited from
taking video footage under a tourist visa.

Police originally arrested Reda on Sept. 16 for alleged links
to Omar al-Faruq, who was arrested in Indonesia in June and
handed over to the U.S. However, investigators said that they had
found no evidence to link the German to terrorism. Reda is being
detained at Cipinang penitentiary.-- JP