Friday, February 11, 2011

Assailant leader captured in Cikeusik footage recorded by A

NATIONAL
Fri, 02/11/2011
5:39 PM
Assailant leader captured in Cikeusik footage recorded by A
The Jakarta Post
A man who lead the brutal attack on Ahmadiyah followers at Cikeusik,Pandeglang, Banten, was captured in video footage taken by a key witness, known only by the initial A, who uploaded the video on YouTube.

“The man [assailant leader] appeared to be composed as he commanded the assailants. He told the mobs to destroy the house and car, and then attack the Ahmadiyah followers.

Police investigators should pursue that angle,” said Chairul Anam, one of A’s attorneys as quoted by kompas.com on Friday at the National Police.

Chairul from the Human Rights Working Grup (HRWG) along with representatives from the National Commission for Human Rights (Komnas HAM) and the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute came to the National Police to accompany A, who underwent questioning as a witness in the incident.

According to Chairul, the footage also captured assailants wearing different colored bands. Some wore blue and green bands while some did not wear any. The video was submitted to National Police chief Gen. Timur Pradopo on Thursday.

National Police detectives chief Comr. Gen. Ito Sumardi said police were studying the footage.

When asked about the colored bands, Ito said he would “explain it later” after his team had finished questioning witnesses.

A, known as an Ahmadi, was reportedly suspected by the mobs for intentionally recording the lynching. He managed to avoid the mobs’ suspicion by claiming himself as a journalist.

A told Komnas HAM that his presence along with 17 Ahmadis in Cikeusik was to guard Suparman’s property and house. Suparman is the Ahmadiyah leader in the village whose home was attacked by the mobs.

 
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