Rizieq Shihab Walkout, East Jakarta District Court Decides To Hold Online Session

JAKARTA - The East Jakarta District Court (PN) continues to hold trials of the defendant Rizieq Shihab and high-ranking officials of the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) online. Although, previously Rizieq Shihab and the lawyer asked for the trial to be carried out online until they finally walked out.

"The defendant is presented virtually or online. Not present in the courtroom of the East Jakarta District Court," said East Jakarta District Court Public Relations Officer Alex Adam Faisal in his statement, Thursday, March 18.

One of the reasons for the online trial decision is because until now it is still the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of the online trial is to avoid the spread of the new corona virus.

There is also an indictment trial that will be held on Friday, March 19, namely the alleged violation of the health protocol (prokes) in Petamburan and the UMMI Hospital swab test with the defendant Rizieq Shihab.

Then, the case of alleged violations of the prokes in Petamburan with the defendants Haris Ubaidillah, Ahmad Sabri Lubis, Ali Alwi Alatas bin Alwi Alatas, Idrus alias Idrus Al-Habsyi, and Maman Suryadi.

Finally, the case trial was related to the results of the swab test with the defendant Muhammad Hanif Alatas.

Previously, the panel of judges at the East Jakarta District Court (PN) decided to postpone the trial of the swab test case with the defendant Muhammad Hanif Alatas. The reason was that the defendant was not present at the trial.

Chief judge Khadwanto decided to postpone the trial. Because the public prosecutor was deemed unable to present the defendant.

"The public prosecutor cannot present the defendant in the audio-visual chair room by the panel will be deemed unable to present the defendant," he said.

"So that the trial will be postponed to give the public prosecutor the opportunity to bring the defendant back," continued Khadwanto.