The
Indonesia Advocates Association (Peradi) Yogyakarta branch has announced that
it has found no indications of severe human rights violations in the Cebongan
prison killings in which 11 of the Army’s Special Forces (Kopassus) soldiers
are suspects.
“We
have no proof that the attack was ordered by superior officers and thus
involved the institution. Therefore, despite its gravity we still cannot
categorize this as severe human rights violation,” said M Syafei, secretary of
Peradi’s Yogyakarta branch.
He
said the suspected Kopassus soldiers should be tried by a military court.
Peradi’s
suggestion was different from the one issued by the National Commission
of Human Rights (Komnas HAM), which suggested there were indications of human
rights violations in the shootings.
Syafei
said that, if asked, Peradi would be ready to defend the suspected soldiers.
Separately, Yogyakarta
Law and Human Rights regional office head Rusdianto said he had been informed
that the Military Police had completed the questioning of 41 witnesses, which comprised
31 Cebongan prison inmates and 11 wardens.
He
said these witnesses were assisted by officials from the Witness and Victim
Protection Agency (LPSK) during the questioning that took place at Cebongan
prison. The LPSK had also asked a group of the police’s Mobile Brigade (Brimob)
officers to safeguard the questioning process.
LPSK
deputy chief Lies Sulistiani said the witnesses were very cooperative during
the questioning.
“We
will provide protection until the end of the court process,” she said.
The
suspected Kopassus soldiers have been detained over the charges of killing four
detainees in Cebongan prison, Sleman.
The
four deceased detainees were being held in connection with the murder of Chief.
Sgt. Heru Santoso, a Diponegoro Military Command intelligence unit officer who
was also a former member of Kopassus. (dic)
