BY MAX LANE
On November 11, a panel of three judges in Banda Aceh handed down their findings after two weeks of hearings in the case brought by the Indonesian National Police against Kautsar, a central leader of the Acehnese freedom movement.
Kautsar, who is chairperson of the Acehnese Peoples Democratic Resistance Front (FPDRA) was arrested in July when a police roadblock found leaflets in his car calling for a mass boycott of taxes and for the closure of the ExxonMobil operation in Aceh. He was charged with distributing leaflets that spread hatred against the legitimate government.
In a brief statement, the judges found Kautsar innocent of all charges and ordered he be released immediately. The statement surprised the packed courtroom, who broke into cheering "Long live Kautsar! Long live the people!"
Kautsar is the first political prisoner found not guilty since political trials began in 1965.
In a bizarre ruling, the judges stated that the prosecution had not proved that Kautsar had handed out the leaflets. They cited the fact that the police had not seized the leaflets from Kautsar's hands in the act of distribution but had taken them form other people who were distributing them.
The judges chose to ignore the fact that Kautsar repeatedly affirmed that he was responsible for drafting and typing the leaflets and organising their distribution.
At the same time, the judges attacked Kautsar's summary speech as being a purely political statement inappropriate for a courtroom. They stated he may have carried out criminal acts but that the prosecution's charges were inappropriate. The prosecution declared that it would appeal the verdict.
Meanwhile, another Acehnese political prisoner, Teungku Nashiruddin Ben Ahmed, refused to attend the first hearing in his trial. Along with five colleagues, he was arrested on July 20 in Banda Aceh. All five are members of the negotiating team representing the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) in official talks with the Indonesian government.
Ben Ahmed is refusing to cooperate with the court, stating that the Indonesian government is breaking an international agreement with GAM that Jakarta would guarantee the security and safety of all members of the negotiating team.
From Green Left Weekly, November 21, 2001.
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