TNI AL Soldiers Killing Juwita Journalists Sued For Life In Prison

Head of Odmil III-15 Banjarmasin Lt. Col. CHK Sunandi (left) read out the charges against the accused of murder of journalist, Class One Jumran/ANTARA/Tumpal Andani Aritonang

BANJARBARU - Military Odditurat (Odmil) III-15 Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, charged TNI AL Classi Satu Jumran soldier, a defendant in the murder of a journalist from Banjarbaru named Juwita (23), with life imprisonment.

"The sentence for life so that the defendant is imprisoned to death in a cell. Given the primary indictment of Article 340 of the Criminal Code is legally and convincingly proven. We ask the panel of judges to sentence the defendant to life," said Head of Odmil III-15 Banjarmasin Lieutenant Colonel CHK Sunandi when reading out the charges at the Military Court I-06 Banjarmasin in Banjarbaru, Wednesday, June 4.

Sunandi emphasized that the defendant was intentionally and had planned to take the victim's life so that it was appropriate to be charged with life imprisonment and additional penalties so that the defendant Jumran was fired from the Indonesian Navy service.

"There is no justification for the defendant's actions and there is no reason to forgive his mistake. So the defendant must be punished," said Sunandi.

Odmil asked the panel of judges to declare the defendant guilty of premeditated murder as stipulated in Article 340 of the Criminal Code (KUHP).

By remembering the article and other laws, Odmil Banjarmasin assured and asked the panel of judges that the defendant Jumran with the rank of Classy One and NRP 133068, as Bahari Bakamla 21309 Base TNI AL Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, be sentenced to principal and additional crimes (fired from the Indonesian Navy).

Furthermore, Odmil requested that evidence in the form of documents of letters that had been examined be placed in case files, several items of evidence were returned to the families of the victims and other witnesses, as well as several other evidences to be confiscated by the state to be destroyed, and some returned to the defendant.

"Furthermore, the defendant Jumran will still be detained in the cell," added Sunandi.

The murder of a Juwita journalist took place on Jalan Trans-Gunung Kupang, Cempaka Village, Cempaka District, Banjarbaru City, on March 22, 2025.

The victim's body was found by residents lying on the side of the road at around 15.00 WITA with his motorbike until later it was suspected that he was a victim of a single accident.

The victim, Juwita (23), works as a local media journalist on a (online) network in Banjarbaru.

Residents who found it for the first time did not see any signs of the victim having a traffic accident.

In the neck of the victim, there were a number of bruises and relatives of the victim also said that Juwita's cellphone was not found at the location.