Jerinx Defends Himself From Indictment: It's No Longer A Secret That The Government Is Failing To Handle COVID-19

Jerinx follow-up hearing (screenshot of Denpasar PN Youtube)

JAKARTA - Through his attorney, musician I Gede Ari Astina alias Jerinx submitted a note of objection to the charge of spreading hatred related to the posting of 'IDI Kacung WHO'. The lawyers team reviewed how Jerinx initially reacted loudly because of the government's failure to handle COVID-19

"Let us, the defendant's legal team, explain the chronology of the COVID-19 governance activities until the defendant is brought to court. It is no longer a secret that the government seems to be stuttering over COVID-19, starting from official statements at the beginning of the outbreak which seemed to underestimate COVID-19 to unclear and changing policies that confuse the public, "said Jerinx's lawyer, I Wayan Adi Sumirta in a virtual trial broadcast via YouTube at the Denpasar District Court, Tuesday, September 29.

According to Jerinx's lawyer, the governance policy for handling the Corona virus is detrimental to the public. Because of this, Jerinx spoke out loud, including through his social media accounts. The lawyer said that Jerinx was not only critical, but acting to help underprivileged people in Bali.

"Even when the public prosecutor, the panel of judges, detained the defendant, the activity of distributing food to the poor still continued. The defendant criticized responsibly, not just words, but actions, ”said Adi.

The root of the problem with Jerinx's critical voice is related to the implementation of the rapid test policy as an administrative requirement including traveling. Even though the rapid test refers to information from academics and health professionals, the lawyer continued, it does not give certainty that the person is infected or not exposed to COVID-19.

"Then the question is why the defendant balked at the rapid test as an administrative requirement? The rapid test as an administrative requirement has no basis, is rejected by academics and health professional organizations. Rapid tests are not appropriate for detecting viruses, because rapid tests are only for checking for antibodies, "said Adi.

"Where is the irrational location if the rapid test results are reactive, then swab is continued, if the non-reactive results get a letter of 14 days. This means that 14 days the person is free to move, whereas the results of the rapid test do not guarantee that the person is immune to the virus for 14 days, this is a wrong practice by the authorities, "said lawyer Jerinx.

Jerinx was charged with spreading hatred or hostility towards the Indonesian Doctors Association (IDI) through posts on his Instagram account. The prosecutor considered Jerinx's post about 'IDI Kacung WHO' to insult IDI.

"As a result of the defendant's act of making posts on Instagram social media in the form of images or writing tones of hatred, hostility or insult or defamation against IDI, so that IDI feels insulted and hated by some Indonesian people and is harmed by the posting of this status," said the public prosecutor reading out indictment in an online trial broadcast via Youtube, Denpasar District Court, Thursday, September 10.

There are two Jerinx posts on the @jrxsid account in question, namely the posts on June 13 and June 15. According to the prosecutor, Jerinx deliberately and without right spread information that caused hatred or hostility to individuals or groups of the community, namely the Indonesian Doctors Association (IDI) in Bali.

According to the prosecutor, Jerinx deliberately made the post until it was judged by the prosecutor to cause hatred towards IDI. Jerinx's character in Superman Is Dead (SID) was also mentioned in the indictment.

"The defendant deliberately made a post because the defendant knew that the post would get public attention and was busy on mass media or social media and received various comments," said the prosecutor.

"Because the defendant is a public figure as a member of the band SID, which has quite a number of fans, spread throughout Indonesia and even abroad," continued the prosecutor, continuing the impact of the two posts on Jerinx's Instagram.

Jerinx was charged with Article 28 paragraph 2 in conjunction with Article 45 paragraph 2 of the Information and Electronic Transaction Law (ITE) and the second alternative charge, namely Article 27 paragraph 3 in conjunction with Article 45 paragraph 3 of the ITE Law.