Two lawyers arrested
Indonesia
Lawyers for Lawyers and Lawyers’ Rights Watch Canada (LRWC) are concerned about the beating, arrest, criminal investigation and prosecution of lawyers Tigor Gempita Hutapea and Obed Sakti Andre Dominika. These events happened following their monitoring of Police violence committed during a peaceful protest rally to demand a change in the minimum wage formula before the Presidential Palace on 30 October 2015.
Tigor Gempita Hutapea and Obed Sakti Andre Dominika are independent public interest lawyers at the Legal Aid Institute (LBH) in Jakarta. They have represented numerous people in a great variety of public interest cases.
The lawyers were arrested along with 23 labor union members and one student activist for the alleged misdemeanor of disobeying officers. However, we were informed that just like the other arrested, Tigor Gempita Hutapea and Obed Sakti Andre Dominika, had actually begun to voluntary disperse when the Police came and beat and arrested them. In addition, we understand from various independent sources that the Police failed to follow proper procedures when arresting the 26 people.
Lawyers for Lawyers and LRWC called on the Advocate-General to immediately drop the prosecution of Tigor Gempita Hutapea and Obed Sakti Andre Dominika.