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Munarman sentenced to 3 years in prison on militancy charges
Former FPI secretary-general abetted terrorists, court finds.
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ast Jakarta District Court on Wednesday sentenced Munarman, the former secretary-general of the banned hardline group Islam Defenders Front (FPI) to three years in prison for "consciously aiding terrorism actors".
The case against Munarman follows the jailing last year of FPI leader, Rizieq Shihab, for spreading false information about COVID-19. Followers of the controversial organization have said the cases were politically motivated.
The FPI was outlawed by the government in 2020, clipping its wings as it gained political influence in the Muslim-majority country.
“[We] hereby declare the defendant has been proven...by law guilty of committing acts of terrorism," the judge presiding over the court said in a hearing.
Munarman was found to have abetted "terrorism actors" by "concealing information on terrorism acts", another judge added.
Over the years, the FPI had gained a reputation for raiding bars and brothels and violently confronting religious minorities. But it also built support among some low-income citizens for its charity work such as distributing aid during natural disasters.
Its clout was on display in 2016, when Rizieq spearheaded massive protests against Basuki Tjahaja Purnama or Ahok, Jakarta's then-governor, a Christian who was subsequently jailed for insulting Islam.
That case exposed deep religious rifts and identity politics in Indonesia, a country with a long history of pluralism.
Shortly after those protests, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo vowed to "clobber" any group threatening to destroy that tradition of pluralism and moderate Islam.
Munarman's lawyer, Aziz Yanuar, said they would appeal the verdict, adding his client was "relaxed" after the sentencing.
Prosecutors had accused Munarman, who was arrested last year, of rallying support for the ultra-violent Islamic State (IS) group, and called for an eight-year sentence. Munarman has denied the charges.
Munarman became a lawyer for Rizieq after building his career at the Indonesian Legal Aid Institute Foundation (YLBHI) and the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (KontraS).
He was also closely linked to Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia (HTI), a group that was also disbanded by the current administration. He was arrested in April 2021, four months after the FPI ban, which was enacted through a joint ministerial decree (SKB) signed by various ministers and heads of institutions, including the National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT).
The government claimed the FPI had no legal grounds to operate as a civil organization because it had failed to extend its registration permit and that its activities were in violation of prevailing laws.
It said these violations included the use of violence, illegal raids and public provocation. During a press briefing on the ban, the government presented a number of videos purportedly showing Rizieq’s support for the IS group, as well as footage of FPI members in Makassar allegedly pledging allegiance to IS.
