Bogor City Prosecutor's Office Stops Prosecuting Ustaz Maaher For Hate Speech

Soni Ernata or Ustaz Maaher At-Thuwailibi (Photo: Instagram upload @yusufmansurnew)

JAKARTA - The head of the Bogor City District Attorney officially issued a Decree on the Termination of Prosecution (SKPP) for the alleged case of hate speech for the crime of information and electronic transactions with the suspect Soni Eranata alias Ustaz Maaher At-Thuwailibi because the suspect has passed away.

"The Bogor City Public Prosecutor's Office issued SKPP Number: TAP-11/M.2.12/Equ.2/02/2021 dated February 9, 2021, which stipulates that it will end the prosecution of ITE (Electronic Information and Transaction) criminal cases on behalf of the suspect/defendant Soni Eranata," said the Head of Information Attorney General's Law Leonard Eben Ezer Simanjuntak in Jakarta, reported by Antara, Wednesday, February 10.

Leonard said, on Thursday, February 4, the Public Prosecutor at the Bogor City District Attorney had accepted the handover of responsibility for the suspect and evidence from the Police Criminal Investigation Unit or the second phase submission. In the virtual handover of phase II, Soni emphasized that he is in good health.

"At the time of receiving and investigating the suspect virtually, the suspect, Soni Eranata, declared himself in good health," said Leonard.

Soni had previously been detained at the Police Criminal Investigation Prison since December 4, 2020, after being named a suspect in the case of uploading humiliation against Habib Lutfi via the Twitter @ustadzmaaher_ social media account.

After the handover of phase II, Soni, who is a detainee of the Attorney General's Office, is entrusted to be detained at the Criminal Investigation Detention Center for 20 days from February 4 to February 23, 2021.

The National Police Headquarters said that after the second phase of submission, Soni complained of being sick.

Prison officials and a team of doctors advised Soni to be taken to the Said Soekanto Police Hospital for treatment, but Soni did not want to until the Ustaz finally breathed his last at the Criminal Investigation Agency (Bareskrim) Detention Center on Monday, February 8, 19.45 WIB.

"He was offered (to be taken to the National Police Hospital), but the deceased did not want to, he still wanted to be at the Bareskrim detention center," said the Head of Public Information Bureau, Public Relation Division of National Police, Brigadier General Pol. Rusdi Hartono.