Supreme Court of Indonesia Rejects Appeal of Three Ladies
ICC
ICC has learned that today (Tuesday, Feb. 7) the Supreme Court of Indonesia rejected the appeal of Rebekka Loanita, Ratna Bangun and Eti Pangesti and confirmed their sentence at three years imprisonment. The Supreme Court does not hear or re-hear the case only the legal arguments regarding the judgeΒs decision.
The fact that witnesses were threatened with death by the accusing party (MUI – Indonesian Council of Mullahs) too scared to attend the case, and the fact that the Prosecutor and the Judges used witness names and evidence of fictitious people who never appeared in the court nor gave testimony as part of the decision to convict was not even considered nor was the coercion and threats to kill the judges, the accused and church pastors and missionaries.
It is a grave travesty of justice when three housewives teaching Sunday school accept children of prostitutes with the permission of their families and then are called criminals who are sentenced to three years imprisonment. The key witness, the grandmother of the children who asked for the girls to attend, is currently being guarded by the MUI. When she was called to give witness at the trial, she did not attend, but the Prosecutor stated that she gave testimony in court that she denied giving permission. She never appeared at the court. She never testified in the court. No record of a police interview or affidavit was presented as evidence in the court, yet the prosecutor and the judges used her “testimony” and “evidence” as proof of the guilt of the ladies. All attempts to approach the grandmother to request her to testify have been constantly blocked as MUI have her well guarded. We need your prayers and support that this travesty of justice may be rectified through international courts.
