UKI jailed student end sentence in Cipinang jail
UKI jailed student end sentence in Cipinang jail
JAKARTA (JP): Cheered on by some 50 fellow students, an
Indonesia Christian University student was released from Cipinang
penitentiary in East Jakarta on Sunday after spending five months
in jail for kidnapping a police officer.
Edward T.B. Karo-karo told the students from City Forum
(Forkot), he would continue to participate in student
demonstrations.
"Five months in jail will not stop me from taking part in
street rallies in the capital," the 22-year old student said.
Wearing his university blue jacket and headband, Edward said
that officials at the penitentiary had requested he leave the
jail on Friday.
"Probably the officials wanted to make me violate the
sentence. So they could say I left before my term ended. And they
could rearrest me later," he said.
Edward left the penitentiary at about 10:15 a.m and
supporters, who traveled to the site in two buses and an open
jeep, burst into tears and hugged the law school student.
The supporters then conducted free speeches and sung the
national anthem Indonesia Raya, before leaving the penitentiary
compound some thirty minutes later.
On April 30, the South Jakarta District Court found Edward
guilty of depriving freedom to an intelligence officer of the
South Jakarta Police precinct named Suratman.
The court's panel of judges decided Edward had violated
Article 333 (1) of the Criminal Code, which carries a maximum
penalty of 12 years in jail.
"We believed the defendant first tried to help Suratman from
being mobbed... but he was later silent when his friends tied
and blindfolded Suratman," said presiding judge Samsoeddin.
The defendant, who was accompanied by lawyers from the Student
Movement Lawyers Team, shortly after the verdict decided to
appeal the judge's decision, saying he tried to help Suratman.
Edward was indicted along with three friends for kidnapping
Suratman, who was taking pictures of a student rally on Jl. Gatot
Subroto on Nov. 27 last year. (jun)