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Sri Bintang's witness's passport problem: LBH Jakarta writes letter to Deplu

Kompas - March 17, 1997

Jakarta – The Legal Aid Institute (LBH) Jakarta as proxy of Iwan Setiabudi, Friday (14/3) wrote a letter to the Directorate General Protocol and Consulair of the Department of Foreign Affairs (Deplu). The letter reported the act of the RI Consulate General (KJRI) in Berlin which was felt as complicating the extension of said LBH's client. Whereas all conditions were fulfilled by Iwan.

The letter from LBH Jakarta was signed by Dwiyanto Prihartono and Hotma Timbul Hutapea. Iwan Setiadi is one of the a' de'charge witnesses in the trial of Sri Bintang Pamungkas who is accused of debasing President Soeharto when in Germany in 1995.

Before LBH Jakarta reported the case to the Deplu, Sri Bintang also once reported the difficulty in extending Iwan's passport to the National Commission for Human Rights of Komnas HAM (Kompas 25/2). The Secretary General of Komnas HAM, Baharuddin Lopa promised to take steps and to convey the problem to related offices.

Insult of justice

In its letter LBH Jakarta mentioned that the KJRI in Berlin would consent the request of Iwan's passport extension if he was willing to be interrogated. The submitted questions however had no relation with the terms for the extension of a passport, but were about his statements as witness in the trial of Sri Bintang's case. Because Iwan refused to be interrogated, until this moment the request to extend his pasport has not yet been consented.

According to LBH Jakarta, the act of the KJRI in Berlin can be considered as an insult against the institution as well as the process of the court. Because Iwan's appearance as witness at the trial of Sri Bintang was based on a summone from the District Attorney from Central Jakarta and an order of the Chairman of the Board of Judges of the District Court of Central Jakarta. Iwan's informations at the court formed also a fulfilling of his duty as a good and law abiding citizen.

The act of the KJRI in Berlin, Dwiyanto and Hutapea continued, can therefore be considered as an act against the law as well as arbitrary. LBH Jakarta hopes that the Directorate General Protocol and Consulair of the Deplu will settle the problem of Iwan's passport extension. Because the passport is very needed by Iwan who presently is registered as a student in a university in Berlin. (*)