Press Council to Assist the Jakarta Post Chief in Blasphemy Case
12 December 2014 10:22 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – Press Council member Nezar Patria said he was set to furnish assistance for Meidyatama Suryodiningrat, the chief editor of The Jakarta Post, who has been named a suspect in a blasphemy case.
The Jakarta Police named Meidyatama a suspect in relation to the inclusion of a caricature of the Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria (ISIS) in the daily English-language newspaper on July 3, 2014.
“We will help at our best,” Nezar told Tempo on Thursday, December 11, 2014.
According to Nezar, based on a recent memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed by the Press Council and the police the Press Council’s could only aid Meidyatama as an expert witness during the case’s investigation.
The Press Council said the case should be categorized as a journalistic case and resolved based on the Press Law. Thus, Nezar called on the police to review the case and hand it over to the Press Council.
Separately, Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Rikwanto said Meidyatama was charged with Article 156 letter a of the Criminal Code on Blasphemy with a penalty of imprisonment above five years.
“He will be questioned as a suspect next week,” he said.
INDRA WIJAYA | AFRILIA SURYANIS
