AJI Urge Police to Stop Criminalizing The Jakarta Post’s Editor-in-Chief

No. 002/AJI-Sikap/P.S/XII/2014

AJI Urge Police to Stop Criminalizing The Jakarta Post’s Editor-in-Chief

The Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) has decried police arrest decision against the naming of The Jakarta Post’s editor-in-chief, Meidyata,a Suryodiningrat, as suspect in the religious defamation case. AJI said that the publication of a cartoon criticising Islamic State militants had been settled before the Press Council.

AJI Chairman, Suwarjono, said The Jakarta Post had already done enough to precede criminal charges by complying with the Press Council’s order to apologize and remove the caricature.  “The Jakarta Post has apologized and withdraw the caricature,” he said in Jakarta, Friday, Desember 12.

According to Suwarjono, the apology was delivered in two languages—Bahasa Indonesia and English—and emphasized that the newspaper had no intention of making fun of Islam. In fact, he said, the caricature reminded  the public that a threat by radical organizations can endanger civil order and even the freedom of speech in Indonesia.

AJI urged police to stop the investigation against Meidyatama Suryodiningrat. Police should have prioritized the handling of press cases to the Press Council. In this case, The Jakarta Post had willed to go through the case with the Press Council. It is regulated in Article 15 of 1999 Law No.40 on Press. The law gives the authority in any dispute or complaint related to the press to the Press Council.

AJI had also urged the public to refrain from having instant criminalization against the media by delivering complaints to the Press Council. Suwarjono said that the press freedom is part of people’s freedom of expression.

“An MoU between the Press Council and the National Police had been signed by Pak Bagir Manan and Police General Timur Pradopo in 2012. It is clearly within the authority of the Press Council to deal with the case and settle it. Police’s decision to proceed with the case has been considered state criminalization against the media,” said Suwarjono.

Police investigation into the case will injure press freedom in Indonesia. Any citizen intending to file reports to the police would be criminalized. The press will again be silenced. “Revoke his suspect status and return this case to the Press Law which is lex specialis,” Suwarjono said. 

The Jakarta police named Meidyatama a suspect  after examining a report number 687/VII/2014 dated July 15, 2014 filed to them by two Muslim organizations, Jamaah Anshorut Tauhid (JAT) and Jakarta Preachers’ Corps (KMJ. The report was prepared by chairman of Majelis Tabligh and Jakarta Preachers’ Corp, Edy Mulyadi saying that the Jakarta Post of July 3 edition published a cartoon critical of the Islamic group ISIL or ISIS.

According to Head of Jakarta Police Public Relations, Senior Commissioner Rikwanto,  December 11, the naming of Meidyatama as suspect was made following the questioning of witnesses,  experts on law and religion, and the Press Council.

Jakarta, 12 December 2014

Contact Persons :

Suwarjono, AJI chairman, 0818-758-624                                

Arfi Bambani, Aji secretary general, 0856-728-3735