Asia

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.

Soon after TrialWatch issued a press statement calling for the release of Shafiqul Kajol, a 52-year-old Bangladeshi photographer and editor of an independent news outlet, he was freed. Kajol is charged under Bangladesh’s draconian cybercrime law, the Digital Security Act, in three separate cases. The cases all relate to a story he shared on his Facebook page alleging a sex scandal involving several high-ranking politicians from the ruling party.

TrialWatch is monitoring ongoing proceedings against Mr. Kajol.