Ten to face trials over role in July riots
Ten to face trials over role in July riots
JAKARTA (JP): Chairman of the unrecognized Democratic People's
Party (PRD) Budiman Sudjatmiko and nine other people will soon be
tried for allegedly masterminding the violent riots on July 27
here.
The state prosecutors yesterday filed six dossiers on Budiman
and his friends, accused of subversion, to two separate district
courts. Subversion is a crime punishable by death.
Three of the dossiers were on Muchtar Pakpahan, chairman of
the unrecognized Indonesian Prosperous Labor Union, and on PRD
activists Petrus Haryanto and Ken Budha Kusumandaru. They will be
tried at the South Jakarta district court.
Another dossier was on Budiman. The remaining dossiers were on
Jakobus Eko, Ign. Putut Ariantoko and Suroso, and on Garda
Sembiring, an activist of the Indonesian Students Solidarity for
Democracy. They will be tried at the Central Jakarta district
court.
All the ten suspects are being held at the detention center of
the Jakarta prosecutors office.
"We need ten to fifteen days to set up the panels of judges to
try the cases, and to study the dossiers," I.G.K. Sukarata, the
head of the Central Jakarta district court, said shortly after
receiving the dossiers.
Central Jakarta prosecutors office head Basrief Arief said
some 60 witnesses will testify against the accused.
Basrief said Budiman Sudjatmiko and his friends were charged
under Article 1 (1) of the 1963 Anti-Subversion Law.
The PRD activists will be defended by lawyers grouped in the
Defense Team of the Indonesian Law and Justice led by lawyer
Luhut M.P. Pangaribuan.
However, Luhut said yesterday he had not been informed that
the case had been submitted to the courts yesterday and called on
the prosecutors to respect the principles governing Indonesia's
judiciary.
"Don't sacrifice those principles for the sake of a speedy
trial," he told The Jakarta Post.
The defense team comprises about 50 lawyers from several legal
aid institutes in Jakarta and from the Indonesian Bar
Association.
A mob of thousands went on the rampage, burning and looting
buildings, cars, and other public facilities on July 27,
beginning mid-day and lasting far into the night.
The violence erupted following the forced takeover of the
disputed headquarters of the Indonesian Democratic Party from the
supporters of deposed chief Megawati Soekarnoputri, by followers
of her rival Soerjadi.
The National Commission on Human Rights has confirmed the
deaths of at least five people during the incident. Over 100 were
injured and 23 others are still missing. The government has yet
to follow up on the findings of the commission, despite an
earlier promise to do so.
Only hours after the unrest died down, the government accused
PRD activists of masterminding the violence and slapped
subversion charges on them.
Yesterday, Pakpahan's lawyer M. Luthfie Hakim was quoted by
Reuters as saying he expected to receive a copy of the dossier
on his client this week and to soon be notified of the trial
date. (08)