In Indonesia, a pilot has been sentence to 14-years in prison for the murder of human rights activist Munir Thalib. During a flight to Singapore in September 2004, off-duty pilot Pollycarpus Priyanto gave up his first-class seat to Munir, then poisoned a glass of orange juice that was served to him. Munir, a prominent critic of the Indonesian government and military, was on his way to Holland to begin a Master’s degree. He died on board his connecting flight to Amsterdam. During the trial, prosecutors ignored the findings of an independent investigatation that pointed to the involvement of State Intelligence Agency. After the trial, Munir’s wife criticized the court for ignoring the issue of government involvement, saying QUOTE: “They have to find the mastermind. Pollycarpus played only a small part in this conspiracy,” she said.
Indonesian Pilot Convicted of Killing Munir Thalib
HeadlineDec 21, 2005