JURY REJECTS MUCHDI'S OBJECTIONS TO HIS TRIAL

Jakarta, Sept 9 (ANTARA) - The panel of judges trying Muchdi PR for the murder of human rights activist Munir at a session here Tuesday rejected his argument that the charges against him were baseless.

"The defense statement is not acceptable because the charges are valid according to the law and therefore the trials must continue," chief judge Suharto said at the session to rule the validity of the trial.

The judges also stated the court had the authority to try the case in accordance with the location of the crime.

The prosecution had earlier accused the defendant of violating Articles 55 and 340 of the Criminal Code.

In his objections to the charges, Muchdi stated that the investigation and trial was being carried out because of national and international political pressures.

"Letters from the US Congress sent to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono are proof of the international political pressure," the defendant's chief lawyer Wirawan Adnan said in his statement.

He said the letters from the US Congress came on October 27, 2005 and November 3, 2006 signed by 50 Congress members.

The US Congress members in their demand for a response to their letters from President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono linked the investigation of the case with promotion of democracy in Indonesia.

"International political pressure also came from the European Parliament which in its declaration asked why only Polycarpus had been brought to trial," he said.

He said certain parties at home had also accused and at the same time judged Muchdi Pr as the mastermind behind Munir's death.