Police Didn’t Allow Families To Meet Suspects: LBH

Banda Aceh, TAG – The Legal Aid Institute (LBH) Banda Aceh chapter said on Thursday that they’ve been trying to facilitate the families who wanted to meet with three terror suspects detained by police since Saturday but police has not allowed to meet them yet.

“Deugok and his friends have their rights to get legal assistance because they are Indonesians that are equal before the law,” Muhammad Alhamda, deputi director of LBH Banda Aceh, said.

The LBH Banda Aceh has been appointed as legal advisor to the three arrested in north Aceh district earlier Saturday. A day after arresting, the families came and reported to LBH Banda Aceh’s Lhokseumawe post about the arrest.

As reported previously, policemen carrying automatic rifles arrested three men in north Aceh district earlier Saturday. They wer allegedly linked to terror bombing attempt. At the same time, police also arrested three men in Aceh Besar district.

The three arrested in north Aceh are Jamaluddin aka Deugok, Muhammad Sulaiman aka Ulee Bara dan Usria. They believed to be former of Free Aceh Movement (GAM) fighters.

The Aceh police chief Ins. Gen. Iskandar Hasan Monday admitted that police had arrested six men in a foiled of bombing attempt in Lhoong area of Aceh Besar district and seized five low-explosive bombs that were to be used in the attack.

Police made the move after receiving information about three people bringing five assembled bombs in a car in Aceh Besar’s Lhoong sub-district. “They were heading west with the assembled bombs,” Iskandar said.

Alhamda said that they have been trying to lobby the police so that the three families could meet the suspects. However, the police has not allowed them to meet the three yet.

Alhamda hoped the police would show more transparent and give families the opportunity to meet the suspects. "Until now the families didn’t officially notified the capture, where they being held, and what seized," he told journalist when the families recounted how the police arresting their love ones. []