Indonesia: Anger at ‘light’ sentences on sect killings

Asia-Pac

28 July 2011 Last updated at 15:13 GMT

Indonesia: Anger at ‘light’ sentences on sect killings

Supporters of the defendants gathered outside the court in Serang

Three men who took part in an attack on members of a minority Muslim group in Indonesia have been sentenced to between three and six months in jail.

Three Ahmadiyah members were bludgeoned to death in west Java in February.

Human rights activists said the court had sent a chilling message that attacks on minorities would be treated lightly by the legal system.

The US embassy in Jakarta expressed disappointment at “the disproportionately light sentences”.

“The United States encourages Indonesia to defend its tradition of tolerance for all religions, a tradition praised by President Obama in his November 2010 visit to Jakarta,” a US embassy statement said.

None of the defendants faced murder charges over the mob attack in which 1,000 Muslims surrounded the home of an Ahmadi.

The sentences handed down ranged from between three and six months in prison — well below the maximum 12-year penalty sought by prosecutors.

Human Rights Groups say that despite constitutional safeguards of religious freedom in Indonesia, attacks on minorities have been increasing.

Indonesia has the world’s largest Muslim population, but is a secular nation.

BBC © 2011
URL: www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-14330834

Indonesia under fire for light sentences in Islamic sect attack

Indonesia under fire for light sentences in Islamic sect attack

By Kathy Quiano, CNN
July 28, 2011 -- Updated 1123 GMT (1923 HKT)

Members of the Ahmadiyah Islamic sect bury a fellow member in Banten province on February 8, 2011

Jakarta, Indonesia (CNN) – An Indonesian court Thursday convicted 12 Indonesians to sentences of six months or less for their roles in a mob attack that killed three followers of a minority Muslim sect.

The attack also injured five followers of the Ahmadiyah, a minority Muslim sect.

Critics decried the sentences as too light and a blow to religious freedom in Indonesia.

“This trial is obviously engineered. This is a case of torture, murder, where is the justice?“ said Muhamad Ahmad, who was injured in the assault.

In February, a mob of people wielding knives and stones attacked about 25 Ahmadiyah members in Cikeusik, Banten province.

The crowd opposed the presence of the sect in the village and demanded the group stop its activities.

Many Muslims consider the sect – which believes Mohammed is not the last prophet – as holding heretical beliefs.

Amateur video of the incident showed people pummeling what looked like lifeless bodies with sticks and rocks. The video was posted on the Internet, fueling public outrage.

Ahmad said he was not called to testify.

“Seeing their sadistic behavior toward us, chopping up bodies, kicking, hitting and stabbing us. Some of them (victims) were even burned. We didn’t get call. They only called defense witnesses,” he said.

The 12 attackers faced multiple charges but no one was charged with murder.

The most grievous charge, attack causing serious injuries, carried a maximum penalty of nine years. Prosecutors demanded a maximum seven months.

Human Rights Watch called the verdicts a setback for religious freedom in Indonesia.

The rights group said police did not not conduct a thorough probe and prosecutors did not call key witnesses.

Deden Sujana, a member of Ahmadiyah who survived the assault, is facing a six-year jail sentence for his alleged role in provoking the attack. He faces charges of incitement, disobeying police orders and maltreatment.

“Indonesian authorities should be making all-out efforts to bring to justice those who kill people because of their religious beliefs,” said Elaine Pearson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch.

“The Cikeusik trial sends the chilling message that attacks on minorities like the Ahmadiyah will be treated lightly by the legal system.”

Defense lawyer Agus Setiawan, however, says the court was unfair toward the defendants.

“I do not know who has to be responsible for the death of the victims. This was not a case of persecution, it was a clash. The defendants should have been set free.”

With the short sentences and time spent in jail, the 12 men may soon be released.

In 2008, Indonesia issued a joint ministerial decree prohibiting the sect – which has about 200,000 members in the nation – from spreading its beliefs.

Since then, hardliners have taken the law into their own hands, at times attacking the sect’s followers nationwide.

Human rights activists have called on the government to revoke the decree.

The Setara Institute for Peace and Democracy, a local human rights organization, noted an increase in attacks against Ahmadiyah and other minority religions in Indonesia in recent years.

The U.S. Embassy in Jakarta and a European Union delegation also decried the light sentences.

“The United States encourages Indonesia to defend its tradition of tolerance for all religions, a tradition praised by President (Barack) Obama in his November 2010 visit to Jakarta,” the embassy said in a statement.

The most populous Muslim country in the world, Indonesia has been touted as an example of tolerance and democracy in the Islamic world.

But a 2009 study from the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life in Washington indicated it was among the most restrictive countries when it comes to religion.

© 2011 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
URL: http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/07/28/indonesia...

HRW ‘Deeply Troubled’ by Police’s Ahmadiyah Attack Investigation

NEWS

HRW ‘Deeply Troubled’ by Police’s Ahmadiyah Attack Investigation

Jakarta Globe | June 17, 2011

Human Rights Watch has criticized Indonesian authorities for failing to uncover the people behind February’s brutal attack on the Ahmadiyah community in western Java.

In a statement obtained by the Jakarta Globe, the New York-based nongovernmental organization calls on police to mount a “full investigation” into the deadly religious violence that left three members of the minority religion dead and another five seriously wounded.

The attack by a mob of 1,500 people on 20 Ahmadis in Cikeusik was captured by an amateur cameraman and uploaded on YouTube.

HRW deputy Asia director Elaine Pearson says courtroom testimony during a hearing on June 9 indicated that Umbulan village head Johar and Ahmad Baghawi, the local branch of the Indonesian Council of Ulema (MUI), played roles in setting Feb. 6 “as the date to forcibly remove the Ahmadiyah from Cikeusik.”

“It is deeply troubling that police investigations into the brutal beating deaths of three people for their religious beliefs did not uncover who was behind the attacks,” Pearson says. “For justice to be complete, investigations should not stop at the 12 defendants, but include all those playing a role in this horrific attack.”

HRW also urged Indonesia’s Judicial Commission to monitor the trials of those charged, saying it “would acknowledge the importance of the case for the rights of religious minorities in Indonesia as well as concerns about the conduct of the proceedings.”

“Indonesia has often failed to successfully prosecute crimes targeting religious minorities, exacerbating a culture of violent persecution,” Pearson said. “The [Judicial] Commission should monitor these trials to strengthen justice in response to anti-Ahmadiyah attacks.”

Twelve people allegedly involved in the attacks face are defending a number of charges, including assault causing death, which carries a maximum sentence of 12 years in jail, but none have been charged with murder or manslaughter.

“Violence against the Ahmadiyah community and other religious minorities is common in Indonesia, yet the Indonesian government has failed to seriously address the problem,” Human Rights Watch says.

“Despite the high-profile nature of the case, the conduct of the trial so far has raised concerns that the religious beliefs of the victims might affect the outcome of the trials.”

HRW says an eight-minute video clip uploaded on YouTube shows one of the judges “berating” an Ahmadiyah witness, Deden Sujana, about his religion.

“Defense lawyers have asked inappropriate questions of some witnesses – such as probing Sujana’s religious faith — in an apparent effort to intimidate them, with no interference from the judges. Outside the courtroom, a defense lawyer told reporters that Sujana must be “bullied till he shits” [“digencet hingga mencret”], but has suffered no rebuke from the court.”

In a separate trial, the Serang District Court is hearing the case against Sujana for alleged involvement in provoking the attack. Prosecutors are seeking a six-year jail sentence.

[Court] is separately hearing a case against Sujana on allegations that he had a role in provoking the attack. Prosecutors have called for a six-year prison sentence on charges of incitement, disobeying police orders, and maltreatment (less serious assault). Human Rights Watch urged the Judiciary Commission to monitor Sujana’s trial along with the others.

“If Indonesia’s courts deal properly with these cases, it could go a long way toward protecting religious minorities in the country,” Pearson said. “The [Juticial] Commission should send representatives to monitor the trials to ensure justice is done for all parties involved.”

Copyright 2010 The Jakarta Globe
URL: www.thejakartaglobe.com/indonesia/hrw.../447528

Legal Activists Want Charges Dropped Against Ahmadi Nearly Killed by Mob

NEWS

Legal Activists Want Charges Dropped Against Ahmadi Nearly Killed by Mob

Ulma Haryanto | May 23, 2011

The house in Cikeusik, Banten, where a mob attacked an Ahmadiyah community in February. Three Ahmadiyah members were killed in the attack. (Antara Photo)

A coalition of civil society organizations have demanded that prosecutors drop charges against an Ahmadi man who was critically injured in the deadly February attack on members of the beleaguered sect in Cikeusik, Banten.

Deden Sujana, head of security for the Indonesian Ahmadiyah Congregation (JAI), was detained on Friday at a prison in Serang for allegedly inciting violence and disobeying authorities in connection with the Feb. 6 attack, Erna Ratnaningsih, chairwoman of the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI), said on Sunday.

In that attack, three Ahmadis were killed by a mob of 1,500. Deden nearly lost his right arm defending himself from a machete-wielding assailant.

Deden is allegedly seen in a video circulating on the Internet of the attack asking a police officer to let the assault take place.

Police had said in the immediate wake of the attack that no Ahmadis were being considered as suspects in the case.

Erna said that Deden’s arrest was baseless since he had always been cooperative in answering police summonses.

“Besides, if they want to have him detained, the prosecutors should have sufficient reason that Deden would tamper with evidence or try to escape, which is not the case,” she added.

Erna said he could face trial in approximately two weeks, but vowed that when that happened, he would be represented by a team of attorneys from the YLBHI, the Jakarta Legal Aid Foundation (LBH), the Human Rights Watch Group and the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras).

“Deden is one of the victims,” Erna said. “His physical condition, and especially psychological condition, was not taken into consideration when the prosecutors decided to detain him.”

Twelve men linked to the mob that attacked the group of 25 Ahmadis are on trial at the Serang District Court.

If found guilty, they could receive punishment ranging from 12 years in prison to death by firing squad.

But Erna on Sunday pointed to what she claimed was a disturbing precedent set in previous trials involving attacks on Ahmadis.

“From previous cases, the attackers received the minimum sentence while the victims received longer sentences. This happened during the Cisalada hearing,” she said.

In that case, an Ahmadi man was sentenced to nine months in jail for stabbing a teenager who was part of a mob of hard-line Muslims who attacked an Ahmadiyah community in Cisalada, Bogor, in October. The attackers were given a year’s probation.

Copyright 2010 The Jakarta Globe
URL: www.thejakartaglobe.com/indonesia/legal-activists.../442554

Amid tight security, Indonesia tries 12 men over attack on Muslim sect

Amid tight security, Indonesia tries 12 men over attack on Muslim sect

By Kathy Quiano, CNN
April 26, 2011 — Updated 0710 GMT (1510 HKT)

Protesters shout slogans during a rally against the minority Muslim Ahmadiyah sect in Jakarta on February 18, 2011.

Jakarta, Indonesia (CNN) — The trial of 12 men charged in a deadly attack against a minority Muslim sect began Tuesday under heavy security in West Java.

“We deployed about 1,095 personnel,” said Senior Commissioner Budiarto, the operations head of the police department in Banten province. Two water cannons and three armored vehicles were also on standby.

Budiarto, like many in Indonesia, go by one name.

Hundreds of people, mostly students from nearby Islamic boarding schools, prayed and chanted outside the courthouse in support of the defendants.

The men are on trial for a February 6 incident in which a mob of about 1,000 people, wielding knives and stones, attacked about 25 members of the Muslim minority sect, Ahmadiyah, in Cikeusik village in the province. Three people were killed and six others injured.

The crowd opposed the presence of the Ahmadiyah in the village and demanded the group stop its activities.

Amateur video of the incident obtained by Human Rights Watch showed people pummeling what looked like lifeless bodies with sticks and rocks. The video has been posted on the Internet, fueling public outrage.

In a televised statement, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono condemned the violence against Ahmadiyah and ordered a thorough investigation.

Human rights activists, however, have called on the government to revoke a ministerial decree issued in 2008 that bans the community’s religious activities.

Many Muslims consider the Ahmadiyah a deviation from the orthodox Islamic faith.

Followers of Ahmadiyah believe Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the founder of the religious movement in India, was Islam’s last prophet. Orthodox Muslims say Mohammed was the last prophet.

The Setara Institute for Peace and Democracy, a local think tank, noted in a recent report a marked increase in the number of attacks against Ahmadiyah and other minority religions in Indonesia in recent years.

The most populous Muslim country in the world, Indonesia has previously been touted as an example of tolerance and democracy in the Islamic world.

But a 2009 study from the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life in Washington suggested it was actually among the most restrictive countries when it comes to religion.

Last week, Human Rights Watch issued a statement, urging authorities to ensure proper security at the trial.

“For the Cikeusik trial to be a step toward ending religious violence in Indonesia, the police need to ensure the security of everyone in the courtroom,” said Elaine Pearson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch.

“Witnesses brave enough to testify, as well as judges and prosecutors, should not have to face intimidation.”

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All Rights Reserved.
URL: http://edition.cnn.com/2011/...ahmadiyah.attack/