European Parliament demands justice in Munir case (14 March 2008)

Utrecht, 14/03/08, (ICCO):

The European Parliament has made an important step towards justice in the murder case of the Indonesian human rights activist Munir. This was the message today from Munir's successor, Usman Hamid. Yesterday, 410 Members of the European Parliament signed a declaration calling on the Indonesian authorities to solve the murder.

"The declaration is an important show of support to prosecute those behind the murder", said Usman Hamid, Director of the human rights organisation KontraS, which is supported by ICCO & Kerk in Actie. "It is also a step towards an improved human rights situation and rule of law."

In 2004, the prominent human rights activist Munir was poisoned on a flight from Jakarta to Amsterdam. The founder of the human rights organisations KontraS and Imparsial was on his way to Utrecht to begin a master's degree in international and European protection of human rights.

This January, former pilot Pollycarpus was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment for his involvement in the murder. However, evidence points to the Indonesian Intelligence Agency as the mastermind behind the assassination. "Whomever the perpetrator is, they must be taken before the courts", said Munir's widow, Suciwati, yesterday.

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