Sentenced To 1.5 To 4.5 Years In Prison Three Convicts Of The NII Case In Garut Do Not File An Appeal

The three defendants who claimed to be NII Generals attended a trial at the Garut District Court, West Java some time ago. (ANTARA/Purnama Ferry)

GARUT - Three convicts of treason and claiming to be generals in the Indonesian Islamic State organization (NII) in Garut Regency, West Java did not file an appeal because their sentences were considered light from the Garut District Court's verdict.

"The three convicts did not file an appeal, they accepted the judge's decision," said the attorney for the three convicts, Rega Gunawan, to reporters in Garut, as reported by ANTARA, Monday, August 8.

He said three convicts from Pasirwangi sub-district, namely Sodikin (48), and Jajang Koswara (50) were sentenced to four years and six months in prison, and the defendant Ujer January (70) was sentenced to one year and six months in prison.

The verdict of the panel of judges is lower than the demands of the Public Prosecutor (JPU) at the Garut District Attorney's Office, which is five years for the defendants Jajang Koswara and Sodikin, and two years for the defendant Ujer January.

The three people were found guilty by a panel of judges at the Garut District Court for violating Article 110 of the Criminal Code on Makar and Article 66 in conjunction with Article 24 of the Republic of Indonesia Law Number 24 of 2009 concerning Insulting the State Emblem as stated in the primary indictment.

Rega said that the three clients had realized and acknowledged the mistakes they had made and then accepted their sentences so they did not file an appeal.

According to him, the court's verdict is quite light compared to cases of treason in other areas which can carry up to 20 years in prison and even the death penalty.

He said that the three people had now declared themselves to return to the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI) and admitted their previous actions because of their ignorance.

"They have also vowed to return to the NKRI, they used to do this out of ignorance," he said.

Previously, the three people who claimed to be NII Generals made a video carrying the NII flag then declared themselves as generals on the orders of NII President Sensen Komara (late) then the video was spread on social media such as Youtube in 2021.

As a result of their actions, they were arrested by the police, then prosecuted with charges of Article 107 paragraph 1 in conjunction with Article 55 of the Criminal Code and Article 110 paragraph 5 concerning treason with a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.

Furthermore, the three defendants were also charged with Article 28 paragraph 2 in conjunction with Article 45 paragraph 2 of the ITE Law concerning hate speech with a maximum penalty of six years in prison and a fine of Rp. 1 billion, and Article 66 of Law No. 24/2009 concerning insulting the state symbol.