JAKARTA (Agencies): The Central Jakarta District Court on Monday jailed a Muslim youth activist for five months for insulting President Megawati Sukarnoputri during a protest in January. Iqbal Siregar, 36, defaced Megawati's portrait with black tape and allowed it to be run over by a car and a motorcycle outside the presidential palace during a January 15 protest by several groups opposed to the president. At the top of the picture was the caption, "People's Fugitive." The sentence is lighter than the 10-month jail term sought by public prosecutor, Arnold Angkouw. During the rally, he waved the picture and showed it to passers-by, saying, "This is the president who disappoints the people." He then threw the president's picture to the street, to be run over by a car driven by Nazaruddin and a motorcycle ridden by Badrul Munir. Siregar, who chairs the Islamic Youth Movement (GPI), which took part in the protest, has been in custody since his arrest on January 23. The judge said this period should be deducted from his jail sentence.
| I can't really get fond of the idea of jugging people for calling the president names. My opinion of certain American presidents has been none too high. On the other hand, it's good to see the Indons trying to rein in the Islamists. |
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