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Two British journalists found guilty of violating immigration law
Heavy handed: British journalists Neil Bonner (second left) and Becky Prosser (second right) await their hearing at Batam District Court in Batam, Riau Islands, on Oct 1
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Heavy handed: British journalists Neil Bonner (second left) and Becky Prosser (second right) await their hearing at Batam District Court in Batam, Riau Islands, on Thursday. They were arrested by the Indonesian Navy for illegally making a film about pirates in the Malacca Strait. Their lawyer lodged a protest with the police for handcuffing his clients at the trial.(JP/Fadli) (second left) and Becky Prosser (second right) await their hearing at Batam District Court in Batam, Riau Islands, on Thursday. They were arrested by the Indonesian Navy for illegally making a film about pirates in the Malacca Strait. Their lawyer lodged a protest with the police for handcuffing his clients at the trial.(JP/Fadli)
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span class="inline inline-center">Heavy handed: British journalists Neil Bonner (second left) and Becky Prosser (second right) await their hearing at Batam District Court in Batam, Riau Islands, on Oct 1. They were arrested by the Indonesian Navy for illegally making a film about pirates in the Malacca Strait. Their lawyer lodged a protest with the police for handcuffing his clients at the trial.(JP/Fadli)
Judges at the Batam District Court declared on Tuesday two British journalists guilty of violating the Immigration Law and sentenced them to two months and 15 days in prison.
The court, led by head judge Wahyu Prasetyo, also fined the journalists, Neil Bonner, 31 and Becky Prosser, 30, Rp 25 million.
"Both are guilty of violating the 2011 Immigration Law," Wahyu told the court on Tuesday.
Bonner and Prosser were arrested by a Navy patrol in Batam in May for making a documentary on piracy in the Malacca Strait on tourist visas.
The verdict was lighter than what prosecutors had sought, which was five months in prison and a Rp 50 million fine.
They journalists can walk free in two days on Nov. 5 because they have already served two months and 13 days following the arrest.
Bonner protested the verdict, arguing that it constituted criminalization of the press.
"We are sad, this is criminalization [of the press] in Indonesia," he told journalists after the trial.
In previous trials, Bonner and Prosser said the documentary aimed to look into the cooperation between Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore in securing the Malacca Strait.
They also interviewed Malaysian officials.
The journalists' attorney, Aristo Pangaribuan, slammed the prosecutors and considered filing an appeal of the verdict.
"The prosecutors seemed very eager to throw them in jail," he said.
Natalie Prosser, Becky's older sister, who came from London to watch the trial, cried as she heard her sister declared guilty.
Natalie said that Becky had been a journalist for eight years, making documentaries for the National Geographic Channel and the BBC.
"She [Becky] is a good writer. She is an independent and strong woman," she said.
Their parents fell ill upon hearing that Becky had been arrested in Batam. (rin)(+)
