Muhammad Taufiqqurahman, Jakarta – The Solidarity Action Committee for Munir (Kasum) sees 2009 as a year of gloom that failed to provide any clarity in the ongoing investigation of Munir’s murder.

“2009 was a year without hope for the Munir case. This year, the state hardly made any progress whatsoever in uncovering the intellectual actor behind the murder of human rights activist Munir Said Thalib”, explain Kasum Executive Secretary Choirul Anam in a press conference at his office on Jl. Borobudur, Jakarta, on Wednesday December 30.

In remembering one year since the release of [former State Intelligence deputy director] Muchdi Purwopranjono by the South Jakarta District Court, Kasum said it felt deeply disappointed. The reason being that there were the many irregularities from the prosecution’s case, the trail hearings, the charges and the court’s ruling.

“Kasum believes that these irregularities indicate that there is a conspiracy to maneuver the Munir case so that it stops or is put on ice. When the prosecution said that the motive for the murder was a personal grudge, Kasum began to doubt that the involvement of other actors higher up than Muchdi Pr would be revealed,” Anam explained.

Kasum is therefore urging the Attorney General’s Office to immediately submit a judicial review over Muchdi’s release, because there are no grounds for the AGO to delaying doing so.

“[They should] also replace the AGO team that is responsible for the Munir case and if necessary replace the entire AGO leadership. Up until now, the AGO as an institution failed to seriously represent justice,” he added.

There is hope that the national police will be able to reactivate the police team to work at preparing new evidence and uncovering the intellectual actors aside from Muchdi.

“We are also urging the Judicial Commission to complete its investigation into Kasum’s complaint that there are strong indications of professional misconduct and the code of ethics by the trail judges at the South Jakarta District Court that ruled [in favour] of Muchdi. We are also calling on the National Human Rights Commission not to postpone the publication of the results of an examination into the Muchdi Pr case, which has already been carried out,” he said in closing. (ndr/iy)

[Translated by James Balowski.]