Syahputra, who manages the printing house that produces the Suara Independen magazine, was sentenced to 30 months in prison on charges of defaming President Suharto. The magazine published an article titled “Suharto in the Process of Becoming a Naked King” in October 1996. Chief Judge Marsel Buchari of the South Jakarta District Court ruled that the article had “clearly” shown intent to defame Suharto.
Syahputra was sentenced several months after being arrested in a raid of the printing house on October 28, 1996, when police confiscated 5,000 copies of the issue containing the article. They also arrested Nasrul, a press operator.
After the two were taken into custody at a South Jakarta police station, security forces searched Syahputra’s home. Syahputra and Nasrul were charged with defaming the president.
Syahputra is a member of Indonesia’s only independent journalists union, the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI).
These actions were part of the government’s suppression of Suara Independen, published by the Melbourne-based Society of Indonesian Alternative Media, and its predecessor, Independen, published by AJI.