VHRmedia, Jakarta – The National Commission of Human Right (Komnas HAM) assumed that Bayu Kurnia, a journalist, was abused by some police officers at Lubuk Begalung Police Office, Padang, West Sumatera. Bayu has reported this case to the West Sumatera Local Police and Profession and Security Division of Indonesia’s National Police, but both of police institutions have not given any respond yet.

Commissioner Johny Nelson Simanjuntak said that this case began at a laptop burglary, which happened at a residential area, near the Begalung Police Office in 2009. Police then arrested four teenagers; one of them was Bayu’s nephew.

Bayu Kurnia was arrested for burglary case, and he was trialed at Padang State Court. The Judge did not found any crime on this case, as it was accused by prosecutor. So, Bayu was freed from all charges.

“We will check it. If this case was truly reported, why it has not been processed? We asked the police to question the 14 police officers who had tortured Bayu, by using ethical and crime code,” Johny said.

Bayu said that he was hit with wood and iron, burnt with cigarettes, and his nails were pulled up with pincers. Bayu thought that this torture was related to his profession, because he often revealed corruption cases and narcotics smuggling in Padang. “I still try to find out if the torture was related to Bayu’s profession. I ask the representatives of Komnas HAM in Padang to review this case,” Johny Nelson Simanjuntak said. (E1)