(AJI/IFEX) – The newspaper “Koran Tempo” registered an appeal to be filed with the Supreme Court over a 19 January 2006 ruling by the Jakarta High Court at the East Jakarta District Court. The appeal was related to a lawsuit over a defamation case filed by businessman Tomy Winata against “Koran Tempo” and its senior […]
(AJI/IFEX) – The newspaper “Koran Tempo” registered an appeal to be filed with the Supreme Court over a 19 January 2006 ruling by the Jakarta High Court at the East Jakarta District Court. The appeal was related to a lawsuit over a defamation case filed by businessman Tomy Winata against “Koran Tempo” and its senior editor, Goenawan Mohamad. Lawyers Darwin Aritonang and Otti Oktalinda registered the appeal.
In its decision on 11 August 2005, the Jakarta High Court ruled that “Koran Tempo” and Mohamad pay one billion rupiah (approx. US$106,000) in damages to Tony Winata for “moral losses”. Both were also ordered to publish apologies to Winata in “Koran Tempo” and “Kompas Daily” for two consecutive days. The judicial panel also threatened them with a compulsory fine (“dwangsoom”) amounting to 10 million rupiah (approx. US$1064) if they ignore the ruling.
The lawsuit was filed by Winata following a report in the 12 and 13 March 2003 editions of “Koran Tempo”, which quoted Mohamad as saying, “Don’t let the Republic of Indonesia fall into the hands of thugs, and the hands of Tomy Winata.” Mohamad made the statement at the National Police Headquarters after a group of men raided the office of “Tempo Magazine” on 8 March 2003.
The Press Council’s Chief of the Complaint Division, Leo Batubara, and Secretary General of the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) Abdul Manan joined “Koran Tempo” lawyers when they registered the appeal. The two offered moral support to “Koran Tempo” in its struggle against the ruling through legal channels.
In a press release dated 19 January, AJI condemned the decision of the Jakarta High Court to accept Winata’s lawsuit against Mohamad and “Koran Tempo.” According to AJI, the ruling is a form of intimidation and repression against the press.
