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Police in North Sumatra probe arson accusation in death of reporter
Indonesia ranks 111th among 180 countries on the 2024 press freedom index of Reporters Without Borders (RSF), which has said journalists investigating corruption there are often subjected to intimidation and violence by authorities.
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Give no quarter: Members of the Surabaya chapter of the Association of Independent Journalists (AJI) rally on Jan. 25, 2019 outside the East Java governor’s office to protest the central government’s decision to grant a remission to the convicted murderer of AJI journalist AA Prabangsa. (Kompas/Bahana Patria Gupta)
P
olice in North Sumatra are investigating an accusation by a journalists' group that arson was behind a fire that killed a reporter and three of his family, an official said on Tuesday, a rare incident that has prompted concern over media freedom.
Indonesia ranks 111th among 180 countries on the 2024 press freedom index of Reporters Without Borders (RSF), which has said journalists investigating corruption there are often subjected to intimidation and violence by authorities.
The Association of Independent Journalists (AJI) blamed arson for a June 27 blaze in the North Sumatra home of a reporter, Rico Sempurna Pasaribu, after he reported on illegal gambling involving local officials.
The Kompas newspaper said the journalist died along with his wife, one of his children and a grandchild, citing his daughter.
District police official Comr. Oloan Siahaan told Reuters that police were investigating the cause, adding that it was still unclear whether the fire had been set intentionally.
The case drew condemnation from journalists' groups. In a statement on Tuesday, AJI called it "a severe violation of press freedom in Indonesia" that set a dangerous precedent.
Press freedom is "fully guaranteed by the constitution", the Presidential Palace said in a statement, adding that it supported the police to investigate the case professionally and transparently.
In the AJI statement, Anthony Bellanger, general secretary of the International Federation of Journalists, urged authorities to take immediate and decisive action to ensure justice for the reporter and his family.
