Indonesia: No Prison for Investigative Journalist

34-year-old investigative journalist Muhammad Asrul was convicted of cyberdefamation under Indonesia’s notorious Electronic Information and Transactions Law and sentenced to three months in prison for reporting on alleged corruption by the son of a city mayor. Even though the Supreme Court of Indonesia ultimately upheld his conviction, he was not imprisoned, likely because of international pressure, including that of TrialWatch.

In addition to monitoring his trial, TrialWatch submitted an amicus brief urging the Indonesian Supreme Court to overturn the conviction of Asrul based on the press protections he was due under both international and domestic law.