IPW Calls Edy Mulyadi's Statement That 'Kalimantan Is A Place For Jin To Throw Children' Is Not A Journalistic Product, Lawyer: You'll See

Lawyer Edy Mulyadi Herman Kadir/DOK VOI - RIzky Adytia

JAKARTA - Edy Mulyadi's lawyer, Herman Kadir, responded to the statement by Indonesia Police Watch (IPW) which said his client's statement about Kalimantan where the genie dumped children was not a journalistic product.

Herman admitted that he did not care about the statement. According to him, his party is just waiting for a decision from the Press Council.

"You'll see later, it's the press council that can talk, if it's in the press council, it's not a journalistic work, please go ahead," Herman said when contacted by VOI, Sunday, January 30.

"Whether the statement is a journalistic work or not can be judged," he continued.

Herman assessed that what his client said about Kalimantan, where the genie dumped children, was a product of journalism. What's more, his client could prove he was a senior journalist.

"If we, as a team of lawyers, consider that talking about genies throwing away means that he is saying that as a senior journalist, there is a reporter's card," he explained.

As previously reported, the Head of Indonesia Police Watch (IPW) Sugeng Teguh Santoso assessed that Edy Mulyadi's statement that said that Kalimantan is a place for genies to dispose of children is not a journalistic product. The case of alleged hate speech involving Edy Mulyadi can be processed in a general criminal manner.

"Edy Mulyadi when he talked about the place where 'jinns throw children' and 'tigers meow' are personal statements, not journalistic products. So they are not protected by the Press Law even though Edy Mulyadi claims to be a journalist," said Sugeng to VOI, Sunday, January 30.

According to Sugeng, the protection of the press or journalists as regulated in the Press Law Number 40 of 1999 applies to journalistic products that have passed the editorial process. Of course there is filtering of information according to journalistic rules.

"His actions can be held accountable for general criminal articles 310 or 311 of the Criminal Code or specifically Article 27 (3) and Article 28 (2) of the ITE Law," said Sugeng.

Therefore, Sugeng encouraged the National Police to continue to thoroughly investigate cases of alleged hate speech. Thus, this case can provide legal certainty to all parties.

"IPW supports the police in processing this public complaint and submitting it to the court for legal certainty for all parties," said Sugeng.

Previously, Edy Mulyadi's team of lawyers protested against a letter summoning his client for alleged hate speech about Kalimantan where the genie dumped his child, which was not in accordance with the provisions of the Criminal Procedure Code. Apart from asserting that there was no SARA element in the viral statement, the lawyer asked the Police to enact the Press Law.

"Remember, Mr. Edy is a senior journalist. It means that the summons he spoke was as a senior journalist, not under what name. It means, we also want the Press Law to be enacted,” said the team of lawyers Edy Mulyadi Herman Kadir at the Criminal Investigation Unit at the National Police Headquarters.