Sea Dragon Crew Member Spared Death Sentence; Attorney General Calls for Judicial Restraint
JAKARTA — Learning from the case of Sea Dragon crew member Fandi Ramadhan, who faced a death sentence recommendation, Attorney General Sanitiar Burhanuddin has instructed all prosecutors to exercise greater care and wisdom in their duties.
Anang Supriatna, Head of the Attorney General’s Office Legal Information Centre, stated this instruction was issued in response to an apology delivered by prosecutor Muhammad Arfian during a parliamentary hearing before the House Commission III on Wednesday, 11 March 2026.
Arfian had previously sought the death penalty for Fandi Ramadhan in connection with the smuggling of nearly 2 tonnes of methamphetamine.
“There is an instruction for each person to conduct their work with greater wisdom, diligence, and without being influenced by any emotion,” Anang said at the Attorney General’s Office in Jakarta on Friday, 13 March 2026.
Arfian received a disciplinary sanction in the form of a written reprimand from leadership.
The Attorney General further instructed prosecutors not to be emotionally swayed when facing criticism and input.
“When there is input and criticism intended for improvement, it should be received well and handled wisely,” Anang said. “The Parliament’s role in this instance was not intervention. Parliament is part of the supervisory function to ensure law enforcement operates in accordance with regulations. It was actually constructive input,” he added.
Prosecutor Muhammad Arfian delivered a public apology during the parliamentary hearing with House Commission III on Wednesday, 11 March 2026.
During the session, Arfian acknowledged making an error when presenting his prosecution arguments in court and stated his readiness to use it as material for future evaluation.
He also mentioned that he had been investigated by the Attorney General’s Deputy for Supervision and found at fault, resulting in the disciplinary sanction.
“We, Prosecutor Muhammad Arfian, wish to sincerely and deeply apologise for our error in the courtroom previously, which will serve as material for our evaluation going forward,” Arfian stated.