The prosecutor of Tangerang town in Banten said Prita Mulyasari was charged with violation of Article 27.3 of the Law on Electronic Information and Transaction. The charge carries a 6-year prison term.

It was learned that Prita ,who had been a patient of the Omni International Hospital, had asked her doctor for her medical record. When the doctor refused, Prita sent copies of her complaint via email.

As a result, the hospital filed a case against Prita. She is the second person to be charged under the Electronic Information and Transaction Law, after Iwan Piliang, an Indonesian blogger.

Earlier, the Alliance of Independent Journalists has submitted a petition for judicial review of the law before the Constitutional Court to remove Article 27.3. The Constitutional Court rejected AJI's demand, however.

This provision stipulates that anyone found guilty of publishing defamatory or insulting information on the Internet face six years' imprisonment and a penalty of RP 1 billion (around US$ 95,000.00).

SOURCE

Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA)