Jakarta – An Indonesian pilot hs gone on trial for the arsenic-poisoning murder of a leading rights activist in a case seen as a test of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's commitment to the rule of law.
The activist, Munir, died in the business class cabin of a flight by national carrier Garuda Indonesia from Jakarta to Amsterdam in September last year. A Dutch autopsy found a lethal dose of arsenic in his body.
Garuda Indonesia pilot Pollycarpus Priyanto, 44, arrived at Central Jakarta District Court to chants of "Murderer!" from around 30 supporters of Munir. He could face the death penalty if found guilty.
Prosecutors said poisoned orange juice served during the flight was used to kill Munir, who made many powerful enemies through his work exposing state-sanctioned violence during and after the rule of dictator Suharto.
Investigators have said the case showed signs of involvement by the state intelligence agency. The pilot, so far the only person charged over the case, has also been accused by human rights activists of being an intelligence agent.
Human rights groups have described the case as a test of Yudhoyono's dedication to ensuring the rule of law, as Indonesia slowly emerges from the shadow of Suharto's 32-year rule when the military could eliminate enemies with impunity.
Prosecutor Domu Sihite said the pilot, who was off-duty on the flight, had seen Munir as "a hindrance to the implementation of the government's programmes" and poisoned his orange juice with the help of two cabin crew, who have been detained but not charged so far.
Priyanto's lawyer Mohammad Assegaf said the charges were based on the "very speculative" assumption that Munir would not drink wine. Munir, 38, was a pious Muslim.
Before the trial, which was adjourned to August 16, Assegaf said the indictment was "illogical" because it charged the pilot with plotting the murder on his own behalf.
"The strange thing about this indictment is that it makes it appear as if Pollycarpus is the one to have the motivation to take the life of Munir," said Assegaf, who has also defended militant Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Bashir who was jailed for his role in instigating the 2002 Bali bombings.
"What is his interest in taking Munir's life?" Munir's widow Suciwati said she hoped the trial would reveal who was behind the murder.
"What is important is not the indictment but that in this trial an answer can be obtained about who is behind this murder, who facilitated it and who is the mastermind," she told reporters.
In its final report, a government-sanctioned team which investigated Munir's death said it had evidence that Priyanto was in frequent telephone contact with several members of the intelligence agency (BIN) before and after Munir's death.
A former member of that team, rights activist Asmara Nababan, said the indictment did not match his findings.
"I am very disappointed with the indictment because it is totally different to the conclusion of the fact-finding team, because the indictment did not explain what really happened or what were the contents of Pollycarpus's phone calls to a deputy director of the BIN," he said.
"Until today, we have never known the nature of Pollycarpus's intensive talks with the BIN deputy but we believe that the nature of the talks was related to Munir's case," he told reporters after the court session.
Activists protesting outside court Tuesday accused the intelligence agency's former chief, retired general Hendropriyono, of being the mastermind. He has denied involvement in any plot to murder Munir.
A dynamic activist, Munir provided legal counsel for victims of state-sanctioned violence during President Suharto's rule that ended in 1998 and helped expose military involvement in rights violations during East Timor's 1999 independence vote. President Yudhoyono has promised Munir's widow that he would to do everything in his power to bring those responsible to justice.