Jakarta – An Indonesian general who was convicted and later acquitted of the murder of a leading activist, is launching defamation action against a prominent human rights leader.

The South Jakarta District Court in December cleared Muchdi Purwoprandjono of all charges linked to the murder of rights activist Munir Said Thalib in 2004.

Human rights activists condemned the court's decision to acquit the former spy chief who was previously convicted of ordering the activist's murder. Now the general is taking legal action against Husman Hamid, lawyer and director of the human rights group established by Munir, Kontras.

Contacted by Adnkronos International (AKI), Hamid said he was not concerned about the legal action and would continue the fight for justice. "What Muchdi is trying to do is only a distraction, but we will not be intimidated by it," he said.

The former spy accused Hamid of calling him an "assassin" during the trial. Hamid called the general's exoneration by the courts "a scandal and a defeat for Indonesia".

Munir was poisoned during a flight from Jakarta to Amsterdam on 7 September 2004. A former pilot with the national airline, Garuda, Pollycarpus Budihari Priyanto, was sentenced to 20 years for killing the rights activist.

Munir was an outspoken critic of Indonesia's security services under the dictator, Soeharto, who ruled the country from 1965 to 1998. He exposed the kidnapping of 13 activists by special forces under Purwopranjono's command in 1997 and 1998.

One of his investigations revealed the involvement of Kopassus in the kidnapping of young activists in 1997 and led to Muchdi's dismissal.

No senior member of the armed forces or secret services has been sentenced despite numerous allegations of human rights abuse under the Soeharto regime.