Indonesian clerics 'interfere' with legal process, say rights group

"It's embarrassing. I'm purely a victim who has been criminalised in my own country. There was no police order to evacuate and I hit the man because he entered our house of worship, calling us infidels, and ordered people to kill us. Isn't it normal that I hit the man as an act of self-defence?"

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | AU Desk
Source/Credit: Radio Australia News
By Radio Australia | August 16, 2011

An Indonesian court has jailed a minority sect member for six months for defending himself and others from a lynch mob that killed three of his friends earlier this year.

Ahmadiyah sect member Deden Sudjana was found guilty of ill-treatment and ignoring an order to evacuate the sect's property in Cikeusik, western Java, as the armed mob arrived.

"The defendant failed to act following the police order to evacuate," one of the judges told Serang district court.


The sentence was the same or stiffer than those handed out in July to 12 Islamic extremists who led the mob in the February rampage, including a teenager who was filmed crushing one victim's head with a stone.

Human rights groups expressed outrage that one of those wounded by the mob should be jailed for longer than the leaders of the violence.

Elaine Pearson, deputy director of Human Rights Watch, told Radio Australia's Connect Asia sentencing in both cases was "influenced".

"With this particular case we saw hundreds of Islamic militants turning up to court day after day," she said.

"There certainly is a lot of pressure on the prosecutors and the judges."

Ms Pearson said the prosecution admitted it had taken into consideration a letter that had come from senior Indonesian clerics.

"So we are seeing a bit of interference."

Self defence

Deden Sudjana, 48, told AFP news agency he was "disappointed" with the ruling.

"It's embarrassing. I'm purely a victim who has been criminalised in my own country," he said.

"There was no police order to evacuate and I hit the man because he entered our house of worship, calling us infidels, and ordered people to kill us. Isn't it normal that I hit the man as an act of self-defence?"

Sudjana said he would consult with his lawyer about lodging an appeal.

Disappointment

The decision has been criticised by the United States.

A State Department spokeswoman said it was "disappointed" by the sentencing of Deden Sudjana.

"We again encourage Indonesia to defend its tradition of tolerance for all religions, a tradition praised by President (Barack) Obama in his November 2010 visit to Jakarta," the spokeswoman said.

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