Students get suspended jail term in hostage case

Students get suspended jail term in hostage case

YOGYAKARTA: The Bantul District Court handed down on
Wednesday a suspended sentence of six months in jail and one
year probation to two students for holding journalists hostage
two years ago on campus.

Wendy HS and Desi Suryanto were students at the Yogyakarta
Indonesian Fine Arts Institute (ISI Yogyakarta) at the time of
the incident.

A suspended jail term means that the students will not serve
their six-month terms unless they commit a crime within the one-
year probation period.

Reading out the verdict, presiding judge Gunawan Gusmo said
the students were found guilty of holding four journalists
hostage on Aug. 6, 2002.

Kedaulatan Rakyat reporters Efi Widjojo Putro and Jayadi
Khasali, along with Bernas daily reporters Y Suroso and I Gde
Nyoman K were held hostage for two hours at the institute while
they were covering a student protest on campus.

The students were protesting a decree issued by the rector
that banned students from conducting joint activities between
academic faculties.

After taking the reporters hostage, the students deleted photo
files from Efi's digital camera and exposed a roll of film in
Suroso's camera.

Wendy said that the verdict was a good lesson for them. "The
case has been going on for a year, and it has been stressful for
us. This is a valuable lesson," he said.

The two accepted their verdict.

During the trial, dozens of ISI Yogyakarta students held a
rally outside the courthouse, demanding that the two be
acquitted. -- JP