"They (Dandois and Bourrat) have promised not to use any information that they had gathered in Papua and have confessed to not being involved in any criminal actions," said Aristo Pangaribuan, the lawyer of two French journalists.Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The lawyer of two French journalists who were nabbed in Papua said his clients have sent a letter of apology to the Indonesian government with regard to their journalistic activities in Papua.
"Thomas and Valentine have personally written an apology letter to the government and concerned authorities with regard to committing violations of immigration law," said Aristo Pangaribuan, a lawyer of Lubis, Santosa and Maramis Law Firm, in a press conference at the Indonesian Press Council Office in Jakarta, on Friday.
Aristo and his team represent Thomas Charles Dandois and Marie Valentine Bourrat, the two France journalists who were arrested in Papua on August 7, 2014.
"They (Dandois and Bourrat) have promised not to use any information that they had gathered in Papua and have confessed to not being involved in any criminal actions," Aristo noted.
According to the lawyers, Dandois and Bourrat began their journalistic activities in Papua on July 30 for a documentary film titled "Papua New Guinea," which was assigned by Memento Production House and Arte TV, a television broadcasting channel based in France.
On August 3, they had filmed the sceneries and landscapes of Papua in general, and then were scheduled to record the Baliem Valley Festival, including the gunfire incident by the armed group in Pirime District, Wamena.
On August 6, however, the police arrested them not long after the journalists had visited locals upon an allegation of having links with armed criminal groups.
On August 7, Dandois and Bourrat were officially imprisoned for misappropriation of visa and relocated from Wamena to Jayapura.
According to Article 122 of the Indonesian Law No. 6 Year 2011 on Immigration, Foreign journalists are required to obtain journalist visas to conduct journalist activities in Indonesia.
Aristo and his team had submitted a surety for the journalists and required a non-criminal sanction in accordance with the Immigration Law Article 75, criminal punishment was the last option.
"There is still administrative sanction, which is to deport the journalists," he emphasized.
The lawyers stand was supported by the Indonesian Press Council and the Alliance of Independence Journalists, who had urged the authorities to release Dandois and Bourrat soon and deport them back to France.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2014
