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tate prosecutors demanded five months jail each for three officers from Beji sub-precinct police office in Depok, West Java, for allegedly assaulting history researcher J.J. Rizal in December, last year.

During a brief court session at the Depok District Court on Monday, the prosecutors were charging three defendants - First Brig. Antoni, Brig. M. Syahrir and First Brig. Supratman - for violating article 170 of the Criminal Code on violence and conspiracy to conduct a crime.

"The defendants have been proven to have assaulted the victim in a public place," prosecutor Basuki said during the hearing.

Basuki added that Antoni had hit and kicked the researcher while Syahrir had hit Rizal's face.

"Syahrir also threatened him by pulling out his gun," he said.

According to the prosecutors, the incident occurred when the officers were about to leave the Margonda City shopping center after providing security at a music concert.

"Supratman arrested the victim after he heard the mass cry *thief'," Basuki said. "They acted spon-taneously."

He added that the officers' actions violate the Criminal Code article because they had conducted violence in a public space.

Another prosecutor Susanto said that among other things that were weighing on the verdict was their status as police officers, who se main priority should be to protect the public.

"But the defendants admitted their wrongdoing and made a peaceful *agreement* with the victim," Susanto said.

The trial will resume tomorrow to hear the defense from the defendants' lawyers.

After the trial, Rizal said that one issue to be included in the defense was a three-page statement.

"In those pages I explained my reasons for forgiving them," Rizal, also lecturer at the University of Indonesia, said.

Among other considerations, he added, was that the case had shown to the public that the police had failed to respect the people.