Defendants sentenced over deadly rally

The Medan District Court has sentenced three defendants for being proven to have been involved in a deadly rally that caused to the death of North Sumatra legislative council speaker Abdul Aziz Angkat.

During separate trials Thursday, the court sentenced former legislator Burhanuddin Radjagukguk and journalist Viktor Siahaan to each serve four years and Jhon Haidel Samosir to ten years in jail.

Such verdicts are still lighter than the 12 years demanded by state prosecutors.

Presiding Judge Yuferi F. Rangka said defendant Jhon had been proven to have beaten Abdul when the latter was about to leave a room at the council office during the rally.

Jhon, on the other hand, denied he had beaten the speaker.

He said he would file for an appeal against the verdict.

Meanwhile, other presiding judges I Ketut Sudira said that the court had handed down the verdict due to his role as the secretary of a team to form Tapanuli as a new province and agreed on the protest.

Both Burhanuddin and Viktor said they would take some time on whether or not to file appeals.