Confinement Of The PWI Chairman At The Office, Zulmansyah's Subordinates Are In Danger Of 8 Years In Prison

JAKARTA - Dozens of unknowns have reportedly pushed into the 4th floor of the Central Indonesian Journalists Association (PWI) Building, located on Jalan Kebon Sirih, Central Jakarta, on Tuesday (1/10).

This incident caused tension, especially after the group of people locked up General Chairperson (Ketum) Hendry Ch Bangun and General Treasurer (Bendum) Muhammad Nasir at the PWI headquarters on the 4th floor of the Press Council Building.

According to information gathered, this incident occurred at around 11.20 WIB. A group of people consisting of dozens of people closed access to the only entrance and exit by installing chains and sealing doors with paper.

As a result of this action, the General Chairperson and General Treasurer of the Central PWI were unable to leave the room.

Several eyewitnesses said that this lockdown took quite a long time and made the situation on the 4th floor of the Central PWI building tense.

Several PWI staff and members who were at the scene at the time of the incident were worried and helpless to see the situation getting hotter.

Based on legal investigations, the action allegedly violated Article 333 paragraph (1) of the Criminal Code and Article 446 paragraph (1) of Law Number 1 of 2023. Article 333 paragraph (1) of the Criminal Code states, "Whoever intentionally and unlawfully robs a person of independence, or continues to seize such independence, shall be punished with a maximum imprisonment of 8 years."

This article is very relevant considering that this act was carried out with the aim of hindering the freedom of movement of the General Chair and the Treasurer of the Central PWI.

Until this news was revealed, the police were still investigating this incident.

The Central PWI itself has expressed criticism of actions that disrupt the freedom and security of members of their organization.

Secretary General of Central PWI Iqbal Irsyad stated, "We strongly condemn the act of bullying and intimidation against the General Chair and the General Treasurer. This is an act that is uncivilized and against the laws that apply in our country."

The Central PWI requested that the perpetrators be immediately identified and tried in accordance with applicable law. This action is considered a serious threat to organizations that uphold press freedom and individual independence.

Based on the existing facts, this case could be in the national spotlight regarding security issues for press organizations such as PWI. Many parties are waiting for the development of this case in the hope that there will be firm legal steps to avoid the recurrence of similar incidents in the future.