YOGYAKARTA (Yosefardi) – 12 soldiers from the Army’s Special Forces (Kopassus) Group 2 Kandang Menjangan headquarters, Kartasura, Yogyakarta go on military trial Thursday (June 20) morning, charged with the murder of four remand prisoners at Cebongan Prison.
The trial which held at the Military Court II-11 Yogyakarta, has been started since 10:00 am and opened to public. However, the protection from the joint security forces is reportedly very tight and seemed too excessive.
Police Sr. Comr. Gatot Sudibyo, Commander of the Yogyakarta Police Brigade Mobile (Brimob) explains that the protection toward the trial involved police and military personnels that deployed in three rings. According to Gatot, the first ring within the Military Court building is protected by 86 personnels. While 214 personnels deployed in the second ring (the frontyard of the Military Court building) and 160 other personnels deployed in the third ring (the nearest areas around the Military Court building).
Previously, the twelve defendant soldiers had been detained at the detention center of the Diponegoro Regional Military Command headquarter in Semarang, Central Java. They were arrested after being proven as actors behind the murder of four remand prisoners at Cebongan Prison in Sleman, Yogyakarta, in March 23, 2013.
The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM), meanwhile, urged the military tribunal to hold a fair, transparent and independent trial. Komnas HAM also urged the tribunal to look for evidence from the possibility involvement of higher-ranking military officers in the Cebongan killings.
By Haryanto Suharman (haryanto@yosefardi.com)