IPW Highlights Edy Mulyadi Trying To Hide Behind Press Law: Personal Statement 'Genie Throws Child', Not Journalistic Product

Edi Mulyadi/PHOTO VIA ANTARA

JAKARTA - Chairman of Indonesia Police Watch (IPW) Sugeng Teguh Santoso assessed 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 'genies 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 the 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 the process of this public complaint and it is submitted 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. In addition to asserting that there was no SARA element in the viral statement, the lawyer asked the Police to enforce the Press Law

"Remember, Mr. Edy is a senior journalist. It means that the summons he spoke was as a senior journalist, not under any 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.