PIKIRAN RAKYAT - The defendant in the Kanjuruhan Tragedy was acquitted and declared not guilty in a trial held on Thursday, March 16, 2023, at the Surabaya District Court in East Java.
The decision was considered by some to not meet the public's sense of justice. In response, Vice President Ma’ruf Amin stated that the judge's decision was judicial authority and must be respected.
"The Kanjuruhan case decision is a judicial authority, it is the authority of the court," said Ma'ruf in his statement on Friday, March 17, 2023.
If there are parties who are dissatisfied with the verdict, according to the Vice President, they can appeal.
Baca Juga: Komnas HAM: Vonis Tiga Polisi Terdakwa Tragedi Kanjuruhan Belum Berikan Rasa Keadilan bagi Korban
Previously, the court acquitted two police officers who ordered the shooting and firing of tear gas, Wahyu Setyo Pranoto and Bambang Sidik Achmadi, who were accused of causing the deaths of 135 people in the Kanjuruhan Tragedy due to tear gas smoke being blown by the wind.
Meanwhile, the other two suspects, the Arema vs. Persebaya Surabaya Match Organizer Committee, Abdul Haris, and police officer Suko Sutrisno, were sentenced to 6 years, 8 months, and 1 year in prison, respectively.
Responding to the unjust verdict, the Kanjuruhan Tragedy Advocacy Team stated that the families of the victims were disappointed, even requesting that the judge change the charge used.
"The families have stated that they are not satisfied, disappointed, and that there is no justice here. No justice is obtained by the victims' families, especially those who were acquitted," said the imam.