Image: Jerinx facing three years. Credit: Change.org
Prosecutors at the Denpasar District Court demanded three years imprisonment for drummer and front man of local rock band Superman Is Dead, I Gede Ari Astina alias Jerinx on Tuesday. The 43 year old, who has been embroiled in a defamation case with the Indonesian Doctors Association (IDI), and been held in a Polda Bali cell since August, told reporters after the after the court adjourned that he believed there were unknown parties behind this who wanted to see him imprisoned.
During the trial, Prosecutor Otong Hendra Rahayu read the charges to the court for an hour starting at 10.30am Tuesday and stated that Jerinx was legally and convincingly proven to be guilty of Article 28 paragraph (2) in conjunction with Article 45A paragraph (2) of Law Number 19/2016 on Information and Transactions Electronics (ITE) in conjunction with Article 64 paragraph (1) of the Criminal Code.
“The defendant I Gede Ari Astina alias Jerinx has been proven guilty of committing a criminal act intentionally and without the right to spread information which is aimed at creating hatred or enmity for individuals and / or certain groups of people based on ethnicity, religion and race between groups,” explained Prosecutor Otong in his demands.
The prosecutor stated that the defendant does not regret his actions. The defendant also performed a Walk Out during the trial and the defendant’s actions have disturbed the public. “The defendant’s actions also hurt the feelings of doctors throughout Indonesia who handled Covid-19,” said Prosecutor Otong.
“However, in his defense the defendant has never been convicted, admits his actions and is still young so he can still be fostered,” continued the prosecutor.
Meanwhile, Jerinx who was accompanied by his attorney, Wayan ‘Gendo’ Suardana and friends shook their heads more when listening to the prosecutors’ demands. When asked for his response by the judge Ida Ayu Adnya Dewi to the prosecutor’s demands, Jerinx, through his attorney, asked for time to prepare the defense. The judge then gave him until next Tuesday (10/11).
After the trial, Jerinx looked emotional as he met reporters outside. The musician from Kuta immediately expressed his disappointment over the heavy demands read out by the prosecutor. Jerinx accused unnamed persons who wanted to see him imprisoned. Especially since during the trial, the central and Bali IDI had said that no one wanted to imprison him.
“So, who wants to imprison me? I want to know who the person is who wants to imprison me and wants to separate me from my wife,” he told reporters.
“Those of you who want to imprison me, should come to the trial occasionally. Who is actually ordering this, come to the trial! I will challenge you in court,” exclaimed Jerinx, who was accompanied by his wife, Nora Alexandra.
The indictment also claimed that Jerinx posted on his Instagram account to attract the attention, knowing that the posts would go viral on social media because he was a public figure.
“The defendant deliberately made the ‘IDI Kacung WHO’ (IDI are WHO lackies) post on Instagram through his @jrxsid account because he knew that the post would get attention from the public and go viral on social media with many comments, etc, because the defendant is a public figure being a member of Superman Is Dead (SID), a band that has many fans spread all over Indonesia and even foreign countries,” said Prosecutor Otong.
There were two posts by Jerinx which allegedly defamed and spread hate speech against the Bali Indonesian Doctors Association (IDI). First, on June 13, 2020, a post including the words ‘because of being proud to be lackies of WHO, IDI and RS (hospitals) arbitrarily obliging all people who are giving birth to be rapid tested for CV19. There is a lot of evidence that the rapid test results are often inconsequential, why do you force them? If the test results cause stress and cause death to the baby / mother, who is responsible ‘. (There was a case of a pregnant woman allegedly losing a child due in part to testing for Covid at the time. Ed)
Furthermore, the defendant Jerinx wrote in the comments column ‘Disband IDI, I will not stop attacking you @ikatandokterindonesia until there is an explanation regarding this matter. Are people being pitted against the IDI / RS? No. The IDI & RS are pitting themselves against the people’s rights’. As of July 29, 2020, the post received 3,394 likes and 56,958 comments. Comments were both pro and contra towards Jerinx’s comments.
Second, on June 15, 2020, the defendant Jerinx again posted on Instagram, ‘In 2018, 21 Indonesian doctors died. This is what is reported by the media. Unfortunately, there is a rotten conspiracy that dramatises this situation as if doctors have only died this year so that people will be overly afraid of CV19. Where do I know from? Please copy all the links in the photo, post it on your FB / IG, then see what happens still says C19 is not a conspiracy? Wake the f*%# up Indonesia ‘.
The trial continues next week.
