The disciplinary and ethical tribunal of East Java’s regional police has sentenced a police officer who assaulted Tempo journalist Nurhadi to just 14 days in prison, lower than the sentence given by the East Java High Court. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliate, the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) Indonesia, condemn the lenient sentence which will not deter further violence against journalists in Indonesia.
The sentencing of two police officers for the assault of Indonesian journalist Nurhadi has set an important precedent for the protection of journalists but concerns remain that the penalty is too lenient to arrest the decline in press freedom in Indonesia, writes Jim Nolan.