Dicky Christanto, Jakarta – The former editor of the now-defunct local version of Playboy magazine, Erwin Arnada, turned himself in on Saturday. He faces a two-year prison term, which was appealed but upheld by the Supreme Court.
"As a law-abiding citizen, I am going to turn myself in to the prosecutors' office to undergo processing," Erwin said as he arrived at the South Jakarta prosecutors' office.
Erwin was apprehended by prosecutors and police upon his arrival from Bali at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on Saturday afternoon. Police demonstrated their prowess at the airport with a large entourage of officers brandishing assault rifles.
Media reports say that the police took the precautionary measures in response to news that Erwin would be "greeted" by members of the Islam Defenders Front (FPI), a group notorious for violent tactics, who had fiercely sought Erwin's prosecution.
But the anticipated demonstration did not materialize. Erwin was rushed to the South Jakarta Prosecutors office before being transferred to Cipinang State Penitentiary.
Erwin's attorney, Todung Mulya Lubis, said he was disappointed with the way prosecutors and police had treated his client. "Why they should treat my client like a terrorist?" he said, stressing that Erwin had met the authorities' requests to surrender voluntarily.
Rahman, the head of the intelligence division at the South Jakarta Prosecutors' office, refused to comment on whether Erwin was arrested or voluntarily surrendered after he had skipped several summonses and failed to show up on the Oct. 7 deadline.
The local version of Playboy stirred controversy when it hit news stands in 2006, causing an uproar among several Islamic groups that described the men's magazine as a symbol of moral decadence.
The Supreme Court ruling sparked concern about lingering threat of press freedom in Indonesia because it was based on the old Criminal Code in disregard of the press law.
A request for a case review would be filed with the Supreme Court while his client serves his sentence, Todung said. "We expect that the Supreme Court will re-examine the ruling soon, so that my client will not have to serve the entire term," he said.
"We want to question the panel's reasons for ruling in favor of the prosecutors' opinion that the magazine constituted an act of public indecency," Todung said, adding that even the Press Council stated that the Indonesian version of Playboy did not contain pornography, was in line with the press code of ethics and therefore had not violated the press law.
Todung alleged that the ruling was aimed at curbing freedom of the press. "Erwin's case has become a bad precedent for all journalists."
Press Council representative Uni Lubis, who was also present at the Prosecutors Office, supported Todung's statement. "We have found nothing pornographic in the magazine," she said.
The South Jakarta District Court cleared Erwin of all charges in 2007 because the photographs presented at Erwin's trial could not be categorized as pornography. Unhappy with the ruling, the prosecutors then filed an appeal to the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the prosecutors in July 2009 and sentenced Erwin to two years in prison for public indecency, as stipulated by the Criminal Code.