Immediate Process for Baiq Nuril's Appeal for Amnesty: Jokowi

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo said he has to yet received the formal appeal letter from the former teacher believed by many to be wrongly accused, Baiq Nuril. Numerous reports suggest her legal team is set to request amnesty from the president.

“It hasn’t reached my desk,” said Jokowi briefly after inaugurating the event entitled Karya Kreatif Indonesia at the Jakarta Convention Center (JCC) on Friday, July 12.

Furthermore, the president maintained that Baiq Nuril’s appeal would be immediately processed once he received it.

“Once it is on my desk, there are several recommendations from related state ministries and we will decide on it swiftly,” said Jokowi. 

Read: Gov't Mulls to Review ITE Law following Baiq Nuril Case

The president signaled that it would be thoroughly discussed with the Law and Human Rights Minister, the Attorney General, and the Coordinating Minister for Politics, Law, and Human Rights.

The president has openly urged Baiq Nuril to send a letter for amnesty to him after her appeal was turned down by the Supreme Court (MA), and that clemency was impossible since it required a minimum of 2 years' imprisonment.

Baiq Nuril, a staffer of SMAN 7 Mataram State High School, was sentenced to six months' imprisonment and a fine of Rp500 million for violating Article 27 (1) of the ITE Law. She was found guilty of spreading "immoral content" by revealing the headmaster`s verbal sexual harassment against her.

AHMAD FAIZ IBNU SANI