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Maximum sentence demand for Luhut critics ‘serious threat’ to democracy, activists decry
Prosecutors charged Haris and Fatia for defamation under the controversial Electronic Information and Transactions (ITE) Law for their statement against senior cabinet minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan
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Lokataru Foundation director Haris Azhar listens to the judge during a hearing at the East Jakarta District Court on Nov. 13, 2023. Prosecutors demand the judges sentence Haris to four years in prison and a Rp 1 million (US$63.7) fine for defaming Coordinator Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan in a video uploaded to YouTube. (Antara/Fakhri Hermansyah) (Antara/Fakhri Hermansyah)
T
he prison sentence demand against human rights activists Haris Azhar and Fatia Maulidiyanti, who stand accused of defaming senior cabinet minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, is a serious threat to Indonesian democracy, watchdogs have decried.
During a hearing at the East Jakarta District Court on Monday, prosecutors sought a three-and-a-half year sentence for Fatia, coordinator of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (KontraS), and a Rp 500,000 (US$31.83) fine.
They also demanded the bench to punish Haris, executive director of Lokataru Foundation, with a four-year prison sentence, a Rp 1 million fine and the removal of his YouTube channel that hosted discussions between the two activists that prosecutors claimed defamed Luhut.
Prosecutors charged Fatia with defamation under the Electronic Information and Transactions (ITE) Law for making the statement that Luhut was “playing around with mining [operations] in Papua these days.” Meanwhile, Haris was indicted for distributing Fatia’s statement on YouTube.
In the discussion, which both activists say was based on vetted findings, Fatia pointed to Luhut’s ties to PT Madinah Qurrata’ain, a permit holder for a gold project in Intan Jaya regency in Papua, located northwest of the Grasberg and Wabu gold mines. PT Tobacom Del Mandiri, reportedly owned by PT Toba Sejahtera, which Luhut holds shares of, has as 30 percent stake in Madinah Qurrata’ain, according to a joint report of its chief sales officers.
Luhut has denied the claims.
