LBH Jakarta Talks of Discriminatory Practice in FPI Unlawful Killing Case

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Jakarta Legal Aid Institute or LBH Jakarta criticized the Attorney General's Office for not detaining the defendants in the unlawful killing case of six members of the now-defunct Islam Defenders Front (FPI). Defendants, who are policemen, were not detained as they received bail from the Jakarta Metro Police officials.

“This is a discriminatory practice, considering that the defendants allegedly committed an act that took the life of another person while being representatives of the state,” as read in the institute’s statement on its official website, bantuanhukum.or.id, on Thursday, October 21.

The defendants face a criminal penalty of 15 years imprisonment. Meanwhile, Article 21(4) of the Criminal Procedure Code notes that detention is imposed on a suspect or defendant who faces charges of imprisonment for five years or more.

LBH Jakarta also cited other examples of discriminatory practices by law enforcers, including the acid attack case against Novel Baswedan in which the perpetrators who are active policemen until date have not yet been discharged from the institution albeit the court had issued a ruling.

There is also the case incriminating Insp. Gen. Napoleon Bonaparte who was convicted of committing money laundering in the Djoko Tjandra case and assaulting Muhammad Kace. LBH said Napoleon remains an active member of the National Police.

“The suspect in the persecution case of Tempo journalist, Nurhadi, by members of the East Java Regional Police has not been arrested too, even though he is already named as a defendant,” LBH Jakarta continued.

The trial for the murder of FPI members was held on Monday, October 18, in South Jakarta District Court. The public prosecutor read out the charges for First Brigadier Fikri Ramadhan and M. Yusmin Ohorella for murder and assault as noted in Article 338 in conjunction with Article 55 (1) of the Criminal Code, which is subsidiary to Article 351(3) in conjunction with Article 55(1) of the Criminal Code.

Read: 2 Unlawful Killing Case Suspects Still Registered as Police Members

M YUSUF MANURUNG