Jakarta – The Central Jakarta District Court postponed the trial of six activists accused of treason relating to Papuan antiracism protests because the prosecutors had provided incomplete dossiers.
The first hearing, planned for Monday, was pushed to Thursday after the defense protested that the prosecutors had sent a complete dossier for only one suspect.
The six activists are Indonesian People's Front for West Papua (FRI-West Papua) spokesperson Surya Anta and Papuan students Charles Kossay, Dano Tabuni, Isay Wenda, Ambrosius Mulait and Arina Elopere. They protested in Jakarta on Aug. 28, when the Morning Star flag was raised in front of the Presidential Palace.
Some of the defendants arrived at court wearing traditional Papuan attire and had written "monkey" on their chests. The antiracism rally was triggered by racial slurs allegedly spoken by security officers during a raid on a Papuan student dorm in Surabaya on Aug. 17.
The defense said the prosecutors' incomplete dossiers were a violation of article 143 of Criminal Law Procedure Code (KUHAP).
"How could they stage the trial without complete documents?" said Okky Wiratama, one of the lawyers defending the six activists.
She said her team had received an indictment last Friday only for defendant Arina Elopere. The team had asked the court several times to send a copy of all the indictments but to no avail.
The presiding judge, Agustinus Setya Wahyu Triwiranto, said the court would require the documents before proceeding. He ordered the prosecutors to complete them this week. (glh)