Proven To Be Insulting Former NTB Governor Zulkieflimansyah Through Facebook, Journalists Sentenced To 7 Months In Prison

The panel of judges at the Mataram District Court in a criminal decision stated that the defendant Juniadin, who works as a journalist, was found guilty of uploading a sentence on a Facebook account called "Pimred Pusarantb".

His upload, called the judge, contained the meaning of insult, spread of hoaxes, slander, and defamation of the former Governor of West Nusa Tenggara Zulkieflimansyah.

"Declaring that the defendant Junaidin is proven legally and convincingly guilty of committing a criminal act intentionally and without the right to distribute electronic information that has the contents of an insult addressed to Dr. Zulkieflimansyah," said Isrin Surya Kurniasih, chairman of the panel of judges reading the verdict of the defendant Junaidin at the Mataram District Court, Thursday, August 1.

The panel of judges with members Lalu Moh. Sandi Iramaya and Glorious Anggundoro handed down the verdict by referring to the indictment of the public prosecutor, namely Article 27 paragraph (3) in conjunction with Article 45 paragraph (3) of the Republic of Indonesia Law Number 19 of 2016 concerning Information and Electronic Transactions (ITE).

By stating that the defendant's actions were proven to have violated the ITE Law, the panel of judges sentenced him to 7 months in prison with a fine of Rp. 10 million, a subsidiary of 2 months in prison.

This decision is lower than the prosecutor's demands, which previously requested that the panel of judges impose a prison sentence of 10 months and a fine of Rp. 10 million, subsidiary to 2 months in prison.

During the trial process, former NTB Governor Zulkieflimansyah was present as the first witness. To the judge, Zulkieflimansyah admitted that he knew the defendant when he was still active as the Governor of NTB for the period 2018-2023.

Bang Zul, the nickname of the former NTB Governor, admitted that he knew about his Facebook account called "Pimred Pusarantb" which uploaded sentences with insults and defamation of him.

In the verdict, the judge also outlined the sentence on the Facebook account "Pimred Pusanantb" which is in the tone of insult and defamation of Dr. Zulkieflimansyah.

It was also stated in the decision that there was evidence that strengthened the Facebook account "Pimred Pusarantb" with an email on the defendant's smartphone.