Judicial Commission Says Ahok’s Trial Is ‘Fair,’ With Caveats
Jakarta. Indonesia's Judicial Commission has declared that the judges leading Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama's blasphemy trail are impartial and that the trial has so far been fair.
"The judges have been impartial, so far. We haven't got to the end yet," Judicial Commission Chairman Aidul Fitriciada Azhari said in South Jakarta on Tuesday (10/01).
"Everything went well in the first five sessions. The public can see that [the judges] are impartial," Aidul said.
He added the fact that journalists are currently not allowed to witness the justification part of the trial may create a problem.
"The justification part is crucial to ensure that the witnesses cannot influence each other. The court should never allow that to happen," he said.
Aidul hopes journalists will eventually be allowed to cover the part, even if they cannot report it live.
"As I recall, the judges had once said they can 'record the session but not the justification part'," he said.
The commission also questioned the court's decision to restrict audio and video recording of the trial. Aidul said his staff have been taking notes of the trial nevertheless.
"Our staff are observing and taking notes of the trial. They weren't allowed to record anything during the last session. We're still trying to figure out what happened," Aidul said.
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