The legal case against outspoken human rights activist Haris Azhar could soon be dropped after the National Police announced on Wednesday it had suspended the probe into the case and set up a team to follow up on claims he made on social media, which it previously condemned as defamatory.

The police force, along with the Indonesian Military and the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) — which reported Haris for defamation after he wrote a Facebook post indirectly accusing members of the three institutions of complicity in the drug trade — have decided to launch separate investigations to confirm Haris’ allegations.

Quoting drug convict Freddy Budiman before his execution last month, Haris wrote that high-ranking officials within the police force, BNN and TNI had worked with Freddy to smuggle and distribute illegal drugs in the country.

While the investigations are underway, the National Police’s Criminal Investigation Department (Bareskrim) will not process the defamation report against Haris, National Police spokesperson Insp. Gen. Boy Rafli Amar told a press conference, which was also attended by Haris, on Wednesday.

“We must admit the truth so that it will not be a boomerang to efforts to eradicate narcotics.”

At the conference, Boy emphasized the importance of maintaining good relations with civil society organizations in the country, especially with the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), of which Haris is a coordinator.

The National Police, TNI and BNN have accused Haris of breaching the 2008 Electronic Information and Transactions (ITE) Law by circulating defamatory information on the internet.

The move was met with widespread criticism from the public, who have demanded that the police investigate his scathing claims rather than shooting the messenger.

The decision to suspend the legal case against Haris came only days after National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian initiated a joint team of 18 members, comprising police investigators and representatives of the public, to investigate the claims.

External team members include figures that are well known among the country’s human rights defenders, such as Hendardi, the executive director of human rights watchdog Setara Institute, and Poengky Indarti, who was the executive director of Imparsial before being elected as commissioner of the National Police Commission (Kompolnas) last May.

The list also includes popular political communications expert Effendi Ghazali from the University of Indonesia.

Headed by chief of the National Police’s General Supervision Inspectorate (Irwasum) Comr. Gen. Dwi Priyatno, the team is tasked with investigating Haris’ claims to identify and punish police officers who are alleged to have been involved in drug trafficking.

Similar investigations are also being carried out by the TNI and BNN. BNN has questioned former warden of the Nusakambangan prison Liberty Sitinjak, who Haris cited as a witness to the meeting between him and Freddy.

House of Representatives Commission III overseeing legal affairs and laws, human rights and security will set a date to meet Haris after the recess period to seek more clarification. “We suggest that all information about the narcotics business be opened to the public and that law enforcement bodies start internal investigations based on Haris’ information,” commission member Masinton Pasaribu said.

“I really appreciate the kind gestures shown by the National Police, the TNI and BNN by following up on my information,” Haris said. “However, I still expect President Jokowi to step in and respond to the matter. Don’t keep silent for too long, Pak President.”

____________________________________

To receive comprehensive and earlier access to The Jakarta Post print edition, please subscribe to our epaper through iOS' iTunes, Android's Google Play, Blackberry World or Microsoft's Windows Store. Subscription includes free daily editions of The Nation, The Star Malaysia, the Philippine Daily Inquirer and Asia News.

For print subscription, please contact our call center at (+6221) 5360014 or subscription@thejakartapost.com

Popular

RI, Australia strengthen partnership on taxing crypto assets

Analysis: Indonesia denies normalization with Israel to enter OECD

Citroen to produce electric cars in Indonesia