Webinar of Polemic on Issue of Leniency in Sentence Demand for Criminal Offender of Novel Baswedan

Juridical Council of International Program (JCI) Faculty of Law Universitas Islam Indonesia held Webinar with the theme: Polemic on Issue of Leniency in Sentence Demand for Criminal Offender of Novel Baswedan, on Saturday, (27/06/2020). This webinar is for the response toward sentence demand by the public prosecutor on the case of first degree aggravated assault toward Novel Baswedan.

This webinar invites speakers who are criminal law experts, namely: Dr. Mahrus Ali, SH., MH., Ahmad Wirawan Adnan, SH., MH., and Muhammad Fatahillah Akbar, SH., LLM. Also, this webinar has been moderated by Sabiyllafitri Azzahra, Students and Chairwoman of Education and Advocacy Division of JCI.

Adnan Wirawan gave his material on the comparison of midwife legal arrangements in the United States. According to Adnan Wirawan, the Baswedan Novel case can be categorized as a first degree aggravated assault. According to him, first degree aggravated assault means as an intentional with plan to inflict great bodily harm to someone resulted in injury or permanent disfigurement. Adnan Wirawan discussed the parties that convened in the case. Scientifically, Adnan Wirawan criticized the act of appointing legal counsel for the defendants, Ronny Bugis and Rahmat Kadir, Inspector General Rudi Heriyanto. According to him, it’s because ethically an attorney was prohibited from carrying out his profession when he was serving as a state apparatus, while currently the Inspector General Rudi Heriyanto is serving as a police officer. Inspector General Rudi Heriyanto has also been an investigator in the search for suspects in cases of first degree aggravated assault toward Novel Baswedan since 2017. “How can we expect a fair trial, if the investigation just stands between ‘two legs’”, said Wirawan Adnan.

Meanwhile, according to Muhammad Fatahillah, this case cannot be separated from the issue of corruption eradication in Indonesia. According to Muhammad Fatahillah, this case delayed because the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) did not have the authority to. The government needs various steps to form a Joint Fact-Finding Team (TGPF) to conduct an investigation. According to Muhammad Fatahillah, the Novel Baswedan case is not the only case that occurs justice delay. There are many cases of this kind in Indonesia when it involves violations by police officers. Muhammad Fatahillah then gave his views on the application of independent institutions in other countries to deal with crimes committed by the police.

This event opened by the Secretary of International Undergraduate Program in Law, Dodik Setiawan Nur Heriyanto, SH., MH., LLM., Ph.D. During his opening speech, Dodik Setiawan gives his congratulation to JCI for its new management structure. “I hope, during this new structure, JCI can become much better as the representation of International Program of Faculty of Law’s Students”, he said.