Indonesia Tries Journalist For Visa Misuse
JAKARTA (Reuters/Pacific Media Watch): A German journalist of Arab descent went on trial in Indonesia on Thursday,
charged with violating his tourist visa status by working as a freelance cameraman in regions hit by religious violence.
Seyam Reda, 42, was arrested in September on suspicions that he was linked to the al Qaeda network of Osama bin Laden
but police later said they could find no such evidence.
In court, prosecutor Suharto said Reda had misused his tourist visa by working as a journalist in areas such as Ambon
city in the Moluccas islands and the region of Poso, both hit by Muslim-Christian unrest in recent years.
He said Reda entered Indonesia on August 2, 2002.
"The defendant misused his tourist visa by opening a news service. He covered conflict areas such as in Poso...and
Ambon," the prosecutor told a Jakarta court.
When he was detained, police said there were indications Reda had links to Omar al-Faruq, who was arrested in Indonesia
in June and handed over to the United States. In early September, al-Faruq, a Pakistani national, revealed information
about planned attacks on Western targets in Southeast Asia.
But one senior police official, who declined to be identified, said on Thursday that an investigation of Reda found no
links to al-Faruq or international terrorism.
"For us, there is no evidence he has any links to terror activity," said the police official.
Prosecutor Suharto made no mention of al-Faruq or terrorism.
Around the time of al-Faruq and Reda's arrests, Indonesia was being criticised by officials in some neighbouring
countries as Southeast Asia's weakest link in the war on terror.
Then came the bomb attacks on Bali island on October 12 which killed nearly 200 people, mainly foreign tourists. Under
intense international pressure, police have moved quickly, arresting numerous Indonesian Muslim militants.
The immigration offence carries a maximum jail term of five years or a fine of 25 million rupiah ($2,800). Reda's trial
was adjourned until next Thursday.
* ($1 - 8,800 rupiah)
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