New terrorism law must uphold "presumption of innocence" in Indonesia

TheHouseofRepresentativesmustcarefullyreviewthedraftamendmentsoftheterrorismlaw,particularlytheregulationsrelatedtothearrestofterroristsuspects,anexpertsays.

AprofessorofpoliticalscienceattheUniversityofIndonesia(UI),BurhanMagenda,saidthegovernmentmustincludea‘presumptionofinnocence’clauseinthedrafttopreventanyabuseofpower.

"Ifitisonlybasedonsuspicion,Idon'tthinkthatsomeonecanbedetained.Weshouldkeepupholdingthepresumptionofinnocence,"Burhansaidasquotedbykompas.cominJakartaonSunday

AccordingtoBurhan,thestatusofasuspectshouldbemadeclearbeforeheorsheisdetained.Forexample,toarrestaterroristsuspect,thepoliceshouldproducestrongevidencethatthetargetisindeedinvolvedinterrorism.

Thereshouldbeevidencethatsomeonehasviolatedthelawbeforebeingdetained,Burhansaid.Otherwise,theauthoritytomakeanarrestcouldbeabusedbylawenforcers.

Similarly,theheadofKontras'civilandpoliticalrightsdivision,PutriKanesia,saidapresumptionofinnocenceclausewouldprotectsuspectswhohavenotyetbeenconvicted.ShecriticizedthecaseofSiyono,aterroristsuspectwhodiedwhileinthecustodyofDensus88.

Siyono'sdeadbodywascoveredinbloodandbruiseswhenitwasreturnedtohisfamilyfourdaysafterthearrest,raisingsuspicionthatthecounterterrorismsquadhadtorturedSiyonoduringitsinvestigation,accordingtoaKontrasinvestigation.

"Eventhoughtheyaresuspects,[withpresumptionofinnocence]theyhavethesamerightstobetreatedequallybeforethelaw,"Putrisaidrecently.

Inthedraftrevisionofthe2003lawonterrorism,thereisapointthatsayslawenforcershavetheauthoritytodetainaterroristsuspectinadesignatedplaceforsixmonths.

Rightsactivistshavecriticizedthepoint,sayingthatasix-monthdetentionviolatedhumanrightsandallowstheuseoftortureduringaninvestigation.

(TheJakartaPost)