Law enforcers keep the public away from true and transparent investigations on activistsâ murder cases, says a lawyer
aw enforcers keep the public away from true and transparent investigations on activists' murder cases, says a lawyer.
Ronald Siahaan, the lawyer of Jopi Peranginangin, an environmental activist who was stabbed to death outside a night club in Kemang, South Jakarta, on Saturday, said on Wednesday that the police refused to reveal the results of their investigations and directed him instead to the Naval Military Police (POMAL).
'They [the police] said they have handed over the dossier to POMAL because the suspect is allegedly a Navy officer. However, POMAL has not made public any official results to date even after we asked them to,' he said after filing a report with the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) requesting that the commission watch the Navy's investigation.
Navy spokesperson Cmdr. Manahan Simorangkir confirmed on Wednesday that his office had named one Navy personnel, identified only as Chief Pvt. J, as a suspect. However, according to witnesses, as cited by Ronald, the perpetrators were a group of more than five men.
Manahan said that the litigation process would be carried out in a military court because the suspect was an active member of the Navy.
Ronald criticized the process, saying that civilians could hardly expect truth and justice from a court where prosecutors, attorneys, judges and even audience members were from the military.
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