Prosecutors sought up to 12 years in prison from a district court for three suspects accused of masterminding a violent protest in Medan, North Sumatra, on Thursday.
The Feb. 3, 2009 incident led to the death of North Sumatra legislative council speaker Abdul Aziz Angkat.
Another alleged riot instigator, Chandra Panggabean, refused to attend his separate trial Thursday.
The prosecutors told the Medan District Court that two defendants Datumira Simanjuntak and John Haidel Samosir should be jailed for 12 years and their accomplice Hasudungan for 11 years.
Datumira, Haidel, and Chandra are former members of the North Sumatra legislative council.
Datumira and Haidel rejected the sentencing demand as "unfair", saying they led the protest to push for the establishment of a new region called Tapanuli province separated from North Sumatra.
Prosecutor P. Tumanggor said the defendants were found guilty of breaking Article 340 of the Criminal Code on premeditated murder, which carries a maximum penalty of death.
The defendants had mobilized people for the violent demonstration, Tumanggor added.
The panel of judges adjourned the trial until next week to hear defense pleas from the suspects and their lawyers.
Chandra Panggabean, also accused of masterminding the violent rally at the North Sumatra legislative council building, refused to appear at the court ahead of his sentence as demanded by the prosecutors.
It was the third time that he was a no-show at the court.
The prosecutors said they had attempted to bring Chandra to trial but he had refused every time.
Prosecutor A. Tahar said Chandra looked healthy and there was no reason for him not to appear in court. This was asserted by a doctor who had examined him.
"He is fit to appear in court," Dr. M.S. Siregar testified at the court.
Tahar said the prosecutors believed the defendant had intentionally tried to delay attending his further trial because his detention period would soon end.
"His detention will end on Dec. 10. If court proceedings have yet to complete by then, he would be released for the sake of law."
Tahar appealed to the judges to allow the prosecutors to forcibly drag Chandra to court as authorities at the detention center had stated they were incapable of bringing him to court for fear of upheaval at the detention center.
Head of the inmate service division at the Tanjung Gusta penitentiary in Medan, Herdi, confirmed the matter at the court on Thursday.
"We are afraid that Chandra's colleagues at the detention center will create chaos. We don't have enough personnel to face them."
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