Rini Kustiani, Jakarta – A volunteer who has been working in Aceh since the tsunami disaster submitted a judicial review of the hate sowing articles in the Criminal Code to the Constitutional Court on Wednesday March 21.

R. Panji Uto, a volunteer working as a doctor in Aceh, submitted a request to review Criminal Code Articles 154, 155, 160 on sowing hatred, Article 160 on incitement, Articles 161, 207, 208 on insulting the government and Article 107 on acts of rebellion.

“These article have undermined by constitutional rights”, said Panji who also holds the post of the Inter-Barrack Communication Forum (FORAK). As a result of the application of these articles, the Aceh High Court sentenced Panji to three months jail on December 18 last year.

Panji was charged with issuing a statement of hostility, hatred or insult against the Indonesian government during a demonstration at the offices of the Aceh Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Agency on September 11, 2006.

During a panel hearing tasked with improving the request chaired by constitutional judge Harjono, the panel accepted seven pieces of evidence submitted by the plaintiff and his attorney. “The results of the panel hearing will be taken to a plenary hearing”, said Harjono accompanied by judges Natabaya and I Dewa Gede Palguna.

[Translated by James Balowski.]