Suherdjoko, Semarang – The IV/Diponegoro Military Command (Kodam) chief spokesman denied on Wednesday an allegation that the military was intimidating journalists and activists monitoring the Cebongan trial.

Col. Ramses L. Tobing said there was no such intimidation from the Indonesian Military (TNI), especially from the legal team defending 12 operatives of the Army's Special Forces (Kopassus).

The soldiers are standing trial at the II-11 Yogyakarta Military Court for allegedly killing four men who were detained at the Cebongan prison in Sleman, Yogyakarta. "It would be suicidal for the TNI to intimidate journalists. There are no members of the defense legal team with the names Rio or Gilang," Ramses told reporters.

Reports of alleged intimidation surfaced on Friday. Two people who identified themselves as Rio and Gilang were looking for a journalist because they said the news published by Kompas and Tribun Jogja was inaccurate. Both Rio and Gilang reportedly used the same cell phone number.

Several NGOs grouped under the People's Coalition for Military Court Monitoring (KRPM) have claimed that there were text messages and phone calls to journalists summoning them in relation to their reports.

The KRPM managed to gather evidence that show some activists had received threats from unidentified people. The group said on Tuesday that it would send a letter to the TNI commander and the Army chief of staff.

"The TNI will not act recklessly like that [intimidating the media]. The Cebongan case is already complicated because so many people are saying things and putting it in the media," said Ramses. "Actually it is an ordinary murder case. On the use of firearms."

He claimed that there were certain individuals who wanted to take advantage of the situation and that his office would just stay low and not try to find those people.

Ramses said the TNI would guarantee transparency during the court martial. "All parties in the trial are state officials, and therefore no parties, individuals or groups are allowed to intervene or intimidate during the trial," he said.

He also implored all parties or groups not to steer and intervene in the course of the trial.

Commenting on the fact that the defense legal team chief has a rank of colonel, higher than the lieutenant colonel rank held by the military prosecutor and military judge, Ramses said there was no articles in the criminal court procedures preventing this from happening. "I guarantee that this will not affect the independence of both the military judge and prosecutor," he said.

Human rights activists and observers previously proposed the military judge and prosecutor to be temporarily promoted to colonel so that they would have equal rank with the legal defense team chief.