Rico Sempurna Pasaribu, a journalist with news site Tribrata TV, was murdered with three members of his family in an arson attack early in the morning of June 27, 2024, in Kabanjahe, Karo district, North Sumatra, multiple news outlets reported.
On November 25, 2024, three suspects Bebas Ginting, Yunus Syah Putra Tarigan, and Rudi Apri Sembiring were put on trial at the Kabanjahe District Court for their roles in the deadly arson.
On March 27, 2025, the judges found all three guilty of premeditated murder and sentenced Ginting and Tarigan to life, while Sembiring received 20 years in jail. On June 4, 2025, the Medan High Court affirmed the ruling and increased Sembiring’s prison sentence to life.
Before the arson attack, Pasaribu received threats and demands he take down a Tribata TV report and Facebook post about an illegal gambling operation allegedly run by Corporal Herman Bukit, a soldier with the Army’s 125th battalion stationed in the town.
The article included a photo of a coffee shop allegedly used as the gambling venue, citing its proximity to the battalion’s barracks.
Pasaribu expressed concerns about his safety and had avoided staying at home as a precautionary measure before the fatal fire.
The Indonesian National Police, North Sumatra Regional Police, Military Regional Command I/Bukit Barisan, and the Indonesian National Armed Forces headquarters, did not respond to CPJ’s emails and text messages requesting comment.