Earlier on Monday, Kompas.com reported that hundreds of people from Islamic organizations gathered at the Great Mosque of Tasikmalaya to demand the release of T.A. and A.R.
Source/Credit: The Jakarta Globe
By Arientha Primanita | May 28, 2013.
Two suspects of an attack on Ahmadiyah Muslims in Tasikmalaya, West Java, received approval to be released from detainment on Monday, a move which the members of the minority community say was an in justice.
Asep Taufik Ahmad, a member of the Ahmadiyah community in the Sukamaju village of Singaparna subdistrict, said that the release of the suspects was not surprising.
“Unjust treatment is not something new for us. We are accustomed to it. Since the very beginning [of the incident] we did not hope [for] much,” he told the Jakarta Globe on Tuesday.
West Java Police approved the bail proposal of two men, identified as T.A. and A.R., who were held for 20 days after they allegedly damaged property. Sr. Comr. Martinus Sitompul, the West Java Police spokesman, said that the bail proposal was filed by the suspects’ attorney on Monday and the police approved it shortly after.
“We also think we have conducted enough investigation,” Martinus told news portal Tempo.co on Monday.
Both both T.A. and A.R. signed a statement agreeing to cooperate with the police if summoned for further questioning, Martinus said, adding that their families also said they would be held responsible if the suspects escaped.
“Both of them are required to report every Monday and Thursday to the local police station or West Java Police,” Martinus added.
T.A. and A.R. were arrested by the police after a mob stormed a village earlier this month, damaging dozens of homes and a mosque belonging to an Ahmadiyah community.
The suspects were arrested two days after the incident. Police charged them with vandalism, a crime which carries of a sentence of up to five years.
Earlier on Monday, Kompas.com reported that hundreds of people from Islamic organizations gathered at the Great Mosque of Tasikmalaya to demand the release of T.A. and A.R.
Asep said that while the Ahmadiyah community respected the authority of the police, they regretted the decision to release the suspects after being pressured by hard-line groups.
“For us, it was not the material loss that we felt the most sorry about. But there were old people and children who were asleep when the attack happened in the wee hours. Some of them are still traumatized now,” he said.
He added that the mosque and homes that were destroyed are slowly being rebuilt.
Asep said that the Ahmadiyah community has not planned further action regarding the bail of the suspects. He added that the people only wanted to live and practice their beliefs in peace.
“We don’t want anything but just to be able to practice in our own mosque in peace,” he said.
Read original post here: Victimized Ahmadiyah Group ‘Not Surprised’ by Release of Suspects
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