The Jakarta Post
Wednesday, October 22, 2003

Nani Farida, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh, Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam

The Banda Aceh District Court sentenced on Tuesday three negotiators of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM), including chief negotiator Sofyan Ibrahim Tiba, and women activist Cut Nurasyikin, to prison terms of between 11 years and 15 years.

The court convicted Sofyan and his colleagues, Amni Ahmad Marzuki and Muhammad Usman Lampo Awe, to 15 years, 13 years and 12 years respectively for treason and terrorism.

"The defendants have caused unrest among the people. They also tried to separate (Aceh) from Indonesia," said presiding judge Maratuo Rambe while reading out the verdict.

Maratuo said the three defendants were charged with terrorism since they knew of killings, bombings and abductions but they did not report them to the authorities.

The defendants were charged with treason since they were appointed as negotiators by GAM, he said.

Shortly after hearing the court's decision, the defendants said that they would appeal the verdict, arguing that the sentence was too heavy and unfair.

"The defendants did not commit physical acts of terrorism. It's also wrong that the negotiation process was considered as an evil conspiracy that led them to commit treason," the defendants' lawyer Adnan Buyung Nasution said.

Buyung regretted that the court did not consider that the defendants' actions were aimed at helping create peace in the province.

Prosecutors earlier demanded that the court sentence Sofyan, Amni, Muhammad Usman to 18 years, 15 years and 16 years respectively.

The court will read out the verdicts of two other GAM negotiators Kamaruzzaman and Nashiruddin Ahmad on Wednesday.

Sofyan and the four other negotiators were arrested on May 19, the day the government imposed martial law in the province.

In a separate courtroom trial on Tuesday, several Acehnese women activists burst into tears upon hearing the court's decision to sentence Nurasyikin to 11 years in prison for treason.

"The defendant conducted a speech in which she demanded a referendum in 1999 and challenged the legitimate government," presiding judge Hamdan Hasibuan said.

Hamdan said the defendant conducted a referendum campaign and held a GAM flag in Baiturrahman Grand Mosque on Dec. 4 three years ago.

"Thank God. Long live Aceh. Dissolve Indonesia," Nurasyikin shouted when the judge finished reading the verdict.

However, Nurasyikin, 48, who heads Srikandi, a non-governmental organization for women's empowerment, appealed the court's decision.

Nurasyikin's lawyer Darwis said the verdict was too heavy, saying: "Nurasyikin should be charged with insulting the state, instead of treason."

He cited an example of a trial against the chairman of the Aceh Referendum Information Center (SIRA) Muhammad Nazar who was sentenced to five years in prison for insulting the state.

Meanwhile, in related development, the Indonesian Military (TNI) announced on Tuesday that it had captured two GAM members in operations in Pidie and Aceh Besar regencies.

TNI operation spokesman Lt. Col. Ahmad Yani Basuki said the rebels, identified as Syamsuddin, 55, of Seulimum district, Aceh Besar, and Sabri, 15, from East Mutiara district, were arrested on Saturday and Sunday respectively, Antara reported.