T

he Muslim Defenders team, acting as lawyers for victims of a mistaken arrest by the police’s Special Detachment 88 [Densus 88] antiterror unit, plan to file a lawsuit against the National Police alleging rights violations.

The TPM announced it planned to file the lawsuit next week. However, it will initially report the allegations to the National Committee on Human Rights (Komnas HAM), the House of Representatives (DPR) and clerics in Jakarta.

“We are still at the DPR today to inform them about the alleged human rights violations committed by members of Densus 88 when they arrested the victims. From here, we will meet clerics from across Jakarta at Habieb Rizieq’s house,” said TPM member Mahmud Irsyad Lubis.

Mahmud said TPM planned to visit Komnas HAM and the National Police headquarters on Friday.

Mahmud said TPM would return to Medan to prepare the lawsuit before submitting it to the court after conducting the meetings in Jakarta.

He said the lawsuit could be submitted at the Tanjung Balai District Court as soon as next week.

“We will sue the National Police with civil and criminal charges,” he told The Jakarta Post before leaving for Jakarta on Wednesday.

Mahmus said the lawsuit would be filed at the Tanjung Balai District Court in line with their clients’
domiciles when they were arrested.

Wife of terror suspect Khairul Qazali, Kartini Panggabean, was arrested by Densus 88 at her house on Jl. Sehat, Bunga Tanjung subdistrict, Tanjung Balai, North Sumatra, on Sept. 19.

The police had acted on information the woman’s home was a terrorist hideout.

During the raid, two terror suspects believed to be involved in the CIMB Niaga Bank robbery in Medan were shot and killed by the team for resisting arrest. Kartini and her husband Khairul were arrested.

Kartini was released on Sept. 26, but Khairul is still being detained by the police on suspicion of terrorism.

Mahmud said the arrests violated laws, citing that they had been carried out without warrants.

North Sumatra Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Baharuddin Djafar confirmed TPM’s plan to sue the police and said it was their right.

“Please do so, because everything will be examined in court,” Baharuddin said briefly.

Densus 88 arrested 21 people on Aug. 18. for their alleged involvement in the CIMB Niaga Bank robbery case.

However, the police named only 16 suspects in the case, three of whom were shot and one killed.

One of the 13 suspects detained at the National Police Mobile Brigade headquarters is Khairul. The five others have been released.