According to the existing law, cases like this should be resolved at the Press Council, because they are press disputes. But in Indonesia many journalists are brought to justice, especially by officials who cannot accept criticism in the media. Worse still, law enforcement officers are investigating the case as a criminal offence.
Abdul Azis Dumpa, Muhammad Asrul's lawyer describes this case in the following interview. The imprisonment of journalists is, in essence, an attack on press freedom. And in many areas, local officials are highly anti-criticism and use instruments of power to silence journalists.
Click on the image above to listen to this repor
