A US journalist arrested in June while reporting on a separatist war in Indonesia's Aceh province expects to be freed Sunday after being sentenced on immigration charges, his lawyer said.
The Banda Aceh District Court on Saturday sentenced William Nessen, 46, to one month and 10 days jail. He has already been detained for a month and nine days. Nessen's lawyer, Amir Syamsuddin, told AFP his client accepted the court ruling and "hopefully by tomorrow he will able to enjoy his freedom.
Chief judge Syafruddin Nasution told Nessen the court had also found him guilty of reporting without informing authorities in Aceh, where restrictions have been imposed on foreign journalists amid an operation to crush the rebellion.
Nessen was arrested after he failed to produce his passport and visa when questioned by authorities. Prosecutors also said he did not report to police when he entered Aceh, did not have permission to work from the manpower ministry and did not have a press card from the Indonesian foreign ministry.
Nessen told the court he lost his passport and other credentials when he fled a firefight between rebels and troops in North Aceh's Nisam district, where he had been since about May 10. He entered Aceh by land from Medan in North Sumatra before Indonesia launched a major military operation against the rebels on May 19.
Some military officers have said they suspected Nessen was spying for the Free Aceh Movement (GAM), which has been fighting since 1976 for independence for the province on Sumatra island. The court did not order Nessen to be deported and he is eligible to stay in Indonesia until October 31. But Syamsuddin said his client, who has written articles for several newspapers in United States, "wants to return home" to seek a medical treatment for a liver condition.
The same court last month sentenced activist Muhammad Nazar, who had been campaigning for an independence referendum in Aceh province, to five years in jail for sedition. Nasar had served a 10-month sentence in 2001 for similar offences. The US State Department criticised what it called the "harsh" sentence, saying Nazar was exercising his right to peaceful political activity.
Local human rights activists and aid workers have also been arrested during the military operation in Aceh and five former rebel peace negotiators are on trial for terrorism.
The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists said in a statement Saturday it welcomed the verdict in Nessen's case because it cleared the way for his release.
"We are relieved that Nessen will now be free to leave the country," said Lin Neumann, CPJs Asia representative. "We believe he was imprisoned because of his activities as a journalist and we have maintained throughout this process that he should be released." CPJ has rejected government arguments that the restrictions are needed in Aceh to protect the safety of foreigners and says they are instead designed to block press access.
As of Thursday, the military said it had killed 595 guerrillas and seized 274 weapons during the operation in Aceh. It said another 1,314 rebels have been captured or surrendered, for the loss of 41 soldiers.