Bambang Muryanto, Yogyakarta – Hundreds rallied at the II-11 Yogyakarta Military Court on Monday in support of 12 Army's Special Forces (Kopassus) operatives on trial for the alleged murder of four prison detainees.

The court was in session to hear the military prosecutors' responses to defense statements. There are two panels of judges handling two cases each. The prosecutors refuted the defense statements on all four cases.

"We want the judges to reject the defense statements presented by the defendants and their lawyers," head of the military prosecutors, Lt. Col. Budiharto, said.

The defense legal team, led by Col. Rokhmat, had earlier asked the panels to acquit all defendants because it had not been proven that the prison raid was premeditated.

Military prosecutors demanded sentences of between eight months and 12 years, with additional punishment – including being discharged from service – for the main defendants in case one.

The hundreds of protesters outside the courtroom requested Budiharto to come before them so they could deliver their demands.

"We will block the gate until we meet the military prosecutor," said rally coordinator, Gus Purnomo, from the ad hoc Kawulo Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat group.

The soldiers on guard at the court did nothing to help the crowd meet with Budiharto.

"I have esprit de corps, so my heart goes to the defendants but I have a different position currently," one told the crowd. "We have to continue with the legal process otherwise the Indonesian Military will be seen in a bad light."

Meanwhile, Indonesia Court Monitoring (ICM) director, Tri Wahyu KH strongly criticized the blockade and questioned why the military allowed it to happen at all.

"The military was able – but unwilling – to disband the protestors," he said. "This has hurt the judiciary principle of public transparency and the behavior [of these protestors] terrorized those in the courtroom."