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September 20, 2006
Indonesia: Editor Who Showed Muslim Cartoons Has Charges Dropped
We reported on August 30 that Teguh Santosa, the editor of an online newspaper was facing trial for reproducing some of the infamous Danish cartoons of the so-called prophet Mohammed in February this year.
He had reproduced the images on Rakyat Merdeka Online in February, at the height of the Muslim hysteria. He had been arrested on July 19, and charged with "defamation of a religion" under the Indonesian Criminal Code (KUHP). If convicted, he could have faced 5 years' imprisonment.
By the time he was arrested, Teguh had already removed the images and made a formal apology for offending Muslim "sensibilities". Christopher Warren, the president of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) had written: "It is time for the Indonesian Government to recognise that jailing journalists for defamation is an ineffective and inappropriate penalty. Defamation should be dealt with through the civil Law of the Press 40/1999 in Indonesia."
Today, Radio Australia reports that three judges in an Indonesian court have now stated that Teguh should have been tried under press laws, and not under the criminal code.
The judges said in a statement that he should have been charged for "publicly broadcasting, showing or displaying writing or pictures that contains enmity, hatred or insult against groups in Indonesia". The maximum penalty for this would be 30 months' imprisonment.
Whether Teguh will be charged under the press laws remains to be seen.
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at September 20, 2006 10:16 AM
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