Prita Mulysari on trial at Tangerang District Court. (Photo: Ismar Patrizki, Antara)
Indonesian woman Prita Mulyasari has been cleared of criminal defamation charges by Tangerang District Court on Tuesday in the case brought against her by doctors from Omni Hospital, concluding a lengthy trial that has lasted more than four months.
Presiding judge, Arthur Harnewa, delivered the verdict and said that Prita’s good name would now be restored. All charges against her have now been dropped.
The audience shouted “Allahu Akbar” (“God is great”) as Arthur Hangewa finished reading the verdict.
The panel of judges ruled that the email sent by Prita didn’t carry defamatory intent and was instead meant as a ‘constructive criticism’ for the sake of the public interest.
Prosecutors will now consider whether or not to appeal the verdict in a higher court. Any appeal must be lodged within 14 days.
“We respect the verdict, but asked for 14 days of time to consider our stance,” prosecutor Riyadi said.
Four months ago, the same court acquitted Prita in a preliminary ruling but she was retried on order by the Banten High Court.
Currently three months pregnant with her third child, Prita was accused of defaming the upscale hospital in Tangerang through an e-mail she sent to 20 of her friends.
The criminal case was brought against her by two doctors working at Omni, while the hospital sued her in a separate civil case.
Her case sparked public outrage after she was detained for three weeks ahead of her criminal trial and the court fined her Rp 312 million ($33,000) in the civil case.
The Banten High Court recently upheld the civil case verdict, although the fine was reduced to Rp 204 million.
Supporters from all walks of life, ranging from schoolchildren to top officials of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s Democratic Party, collected donations amounting to more than Rp 800 million to help Prita pay the fine, but the hospital later dropped the civil suit.
The case stirred a media uproar after the defense team showed evidence that Omni had offered free medical checkups for Tangerang prosecutors, who neither denied nor confirmed the report.
The Attorney General’s Office has launched inquiries into prosecutors at the district office and the Banten provincial office amid reports that they used the Electronic Information and Transaction (ITE) law as the basis to detain Prita ahead of her trial.
Tuesday’s hearing started at 9 a.m. Officials from National Commission for Human Rights and the Judicial Commission were among the attendees, as well as around 40 women who claimed to be Prita’s supporters.
Free: Libel defendant Prita Mulyasari hugs her sister who accompanied her during her trial against Omni International Hospital. The Tangerang District Court acquitted Prita's charge of defamation on Tuesday filed by the hospital. JP/Multa Fidrus
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