Indonesia: Airline boss on trial over poisoning

A former vice president at Indonesia’s Garuda airline went on trial today accused of conspiracy in the mid-air poisoning death of a top human rights activist three years ago.

Rohainil Aini is the second person to face charges over the death of Munir Said Thalib, who died after ingesting a fatal dose of arsenic while flying from Jakarta to Amsterdam on the national carrier.

Human rights activists allege Thalib was killed because of his work exposing abuses by Indonesian security forces.

Some evidence made public so far suggests that officers within the powerfully State Intelligence Agency, or BIN, may have had a role. Prosecutors at the Central Jakarta District Court began reading out the charges against Aini, who was formally charged with conspiracy in the killing several months ago.

At the time of the killing, Aini was an operations officer with Garuda, but since rose to the rank of vice president.

The investigation into Thalib’s death is seen as a test of how much Indonesia has changed since former President Suharto’s 32-year dictatorship, when state-sponsored killings were common and security officers were largely above the law.

The United States, the European Union and the United Nations have pressed Jakarta to find justice for the rights campaigner.