After an extensive legal process the Bali Post newspaper can now catch its breath.
The newspaper won a lawsuit on appeal against Bali’s governor I Made Mangku Pastika, reports Liputan6.
The drawn out battle had reached the Supreme Court and the Post’s victory signifies a win for press freedom in Indonesia. The Supreme Court reportedly overturned Denpasar District Court’s previous ruling in favor of Pastika.
Pastika had sued Nyoman Wirata and journalist I Ketut Putra Ariawan for a story that broke out back on September 17, 2011. According to Liputan6, the story was on a clash between villagers ink Klungkung, east Bali. The headline had read in Indonesian, Post Budaga Kemoning clashes, Governor: Disband Traditional Villages.
However, Pastika claims he never issued such a statement and then sued the Post Chief Editor and story’s reporter for allegedly making false news.
“This is not a victory of the Bali Post. But this is the victory of the press, that the media personnel carry out their duties according to the code of ethics of journalism,” said Suryatin Lijaya, an attorney from the Bali Post in Denpasar on Monday.
