ADNKI, Jan-12-07 17:29
Indonesia: poisoned rights activists' widow slams culture of
impunity
Jarkarta, 12 Jan. (AKI) - The widow of murdered human rights activist Munir Said
Thalib, Suciwati has slammed Indonesia's failure to uphold justice. "This country
continues to maintain impunity for human rights violators, many of whom have never
been convicted," she said. Thalib died of arsenic poisoning on a Garuda flight from
Singapore to Amsterdam in September 2004. His widow, Suciwati, is suing the airline
and crew members who worked on the flight, including Pollycarpus Prianto, an on
off-duty Garuda pilot who was on the flight.
Priyanto was sentenced by a district court in 2005 to 14 years in prison for the murder
of Munir. However, in a controversial ruling, the Supreme Court quashed his murder
conviction in November 2006.
The court did sentence the pilot to two years in prison for falsifying flight documents.
He walked out of jail in December thanks to several sentence remissions. Suciwati
has been active in seeking international support for her campaign for justice.
Her legal battle with national carrier Garuda acontinued Thursday at the Central
Jakarta District Court, with her lawyers insisting they had a legal basis for suing the
company.
Authorities believe the arsenic that killed Munir was placed in a meal he was served
during the flight.
"They (Garuda and crew) were wrong when they said our suit had no legal basis and
that it should be automatically thrown out following the Supreme Court's decision,"
Choirul Anam, one of Suciwati's lawyers, told the district court during a hearing
Thursday. "The decision, in fact, has strengthened our suit."
The Supreme Court's decision surprised many people, and has come under criticism
by activists. The police have also been criticized for their failure to solve the murder
and bring those responsible to justice.
"All of us should encourage the police to keep on working on the case. They need
more confidence to find the mastermind," Suciwati said.
Her lawyers added that the National Intelligence Body (BIN) should also play a more
active role in helping the police investigate the murder.
According to reports, in the months and weeks before the murder Prianto made about
40 phone calls to high-ranking BIN officials.
Suciwati filed her lawsuit against Garuda and crew members, including Prianto, last
year. The suit accuses Garuda of negligence resulting in the death of Munir.
Heru Santoso, a lawyer for the airline, said Garuda and its employees followed normal
flight procedures in seating and serving Munir.
In response, Suciwati said: "The crew was negligent and failed to keep a proper watch
over the food and beverages, which in fact led to Munir's death."
Presiding judge Andriani Nurdin adjourned the trial until Jan. 24. (Aki/Jakarta Post)
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