Heru Andriyanto – Activists on Tuesday held a rally outside the Attorney General's Office in South Jakarta, demanding that prosecutors challenge the acquittal of the former intelligence chief accused of ordering the murder of human rights crusader Munir Said Thalib.

The demonstration was held almost a year after the South Jakarta District Court acquitted Muchdi Purwopranjono, the former head of the Army's Special Forces (Kopassus).

"We call on prosecutors to immediately file a case review on Muchdi's acquittal," said Andi Panca, who represented the Committee of Action and Solidarity for Munir (Kasum).

"We are here to show our support to the prosecutors so that they would have the courage to lodge a case review," added Oslan Purba, a member of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras).

The AGO had indicated that it would challenge the Supreme Court's ruling which turned down prosecutors' appeal against Muchdi's acquittal, but gave no time frame.

Muchdi was accused of masterminding the murder of Munir on Sept. 7, 2004. Tuesday's rally was held to coincide with Munir's birthday, close to Human Rights Day, which is celebrated annually on Dec. 10.

Munir was born in Malang, East Java, on Dec. 8, 1955 and was a staunch critic of the military over human rights issues. The founder of Kontras, Munir died after his drink was poisoned with arsenic during an Amsterdam-bound flight.

In the indictment, prosecutors said that Muchdi had used his influence at the State Intelligence Agency to avenge his ouster as Kopassus chief, which he blamed on Munir.