REUTERS, Thursday January 2, 2003
Indonesia tries journalist for visa misuse
JAKARTA, Jan 2 (Reuters) - A German journalist of Arab descent went on trial in
Indonesia on Thursday, charged with violating his tourist visa status by working as a
freelance cameraman in regions hit by religious violence.
Seyam Reda, 42, was arrested in September on suspicions that he was linked to the
al Qaeda network of Osama bin Laden but police later said they could find no such
evidence.
In court, prosecutor Suharto said Reda had misused his tourist visa by working as a
journalist in areas such as Ambon city in the Moluccas islands and the region of
Poso, both hit by Muslim-Christian unrest in recent years.
He said Reda entered Indonesia on August 2, 2002.
"The defendant misused his tourist visa by opening a news service. He covered
conflict areas such as in Poso...and Ambon," the prosecutor told a Jakarta court.
When he was detained, police said there were indications Reda had links to Omar
al-Faruq, who was arrested in Indonesia in June and handed over to the United States.
In early September, al-Faruq, a Pakistani national, revealed information about planned
attacks on Western targets in Southeast Asia.
But one senior police official, who declined to be identified, said on Thursday that an
investigation of Reda found no links to al-Faruq or international terrorism.
"For us, there is no evidence he has any links to terror activity," said the police
official.
Prosecutor Suharto made no mention of al-Faruq or terrorism.
Around the time of al-Faruq and Reda's arrests, Indonesia was being criticised by
officials in some neighbouring countries as Southeast Asia's weakest link in the war
on terror.
Then came the bomb attacks on Bali island on October 12 which killed nearly 200
people, mainly foreign tourists. Under intense international pressure, police have
moved quickly, arresting numerous Indonesian Muslim militants.
The immigration offence carries a maximum jail term of five years or a fine of 25
million rupiah ($2,800). Reda's trial was adjourned until next Thursday.
($1 - 8,800 rupiah)
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