Edited video shared with false claim 'Indonesian cyanide coffee killer has been released'

This article is more than one year old.
Published on November 28, 2023 at 07:04
5 min read
By AFP Indonesia

Social media users have shared a video alongside a false claim that an Indonesian woman -- Jessica Kumala Wongso, who was convicted and jailed for the murder of her friend in 2016 -- had been released from prison in October 2023. A spokesperson for the Indonesian Attorney General's Office told AFP that the claim was false and that Jessica is still serving her 20-year sentence. The video in the false posts also appeared to suggest that one of the trial's expert witnesses admitted no autopsy -- a key element in the prosecution's case -- had been conducted on the victim. In fact, in the original video, he said there was an autopsy.

"Jessica's case is officially dismissed and Jessica is free," reads the Indonesian text at the beginning of this TikTok video, posted on October 22, 2023.

The video consists of two clips, first showing remarks by Deputy Law and Human Rights Minister Edward Omar Sharif Hiariej -- a law professor who testified at the trial for the prosecution -- then by one of Jessica's lawyers, Otto Hasibuan (archived links here and here).

"The police and prosecutor didn't conduct an autopsy in a murder case," Edward said in the first part of the video. "No autopsy, no crime."

The clip then switches to Otto saying: "Since Professor Edward said so, I say thank you to him because he said the truth, and now it is confirmed: no autopsy, no crime. And because of it, all of us must realise and admit that this case should be dismissed."

The 41-second video has been viewed more than 1,200 times.

Screenshot of the false post, taken on November 25, 2023

Jessica was jailed for 20 years in October 2016 after she was convicted of poisoning and killing her friend, Wayan Mirna Salihin, with cyanide-laced coffee (archived link).

The case created a huge sensation in Indonesia since the trial was broadcast live on national TV (archived link).

Mirna's family objected to a full autopsy, so police only tested her stomach, liver and urine and found traces of the poison.

While the prosecution said this was enough to establish the cause of death, Jessica's lawyers argued it still could not be ruled out that Mirna died from natural causes.

The case became widely discussed again in Indonesia after US streaming platform Netflix released a documentary about the trial, "Ice Cold: Murder, Coffee and Jessica Wongso", in September 2023 (archived link).

Otto -- one of Jessica's lawyers -- has since said in a podcast interview in October 2023 that he planned to file a judicial review to the Supreme Court to reopen this case (archived link).

The video with a similar claim was posted on TikTok here, here and here in October 2023, racking up more than three million views.

Comments on the posts suggest some netizens believe the claim is true and Jessica has been released from prison.

"Indonesian law is better and fairer," wrote one TikTok user.

Another wrote: "Praise be to God, ...thank you Allah, you answered my prayers."

Screenshot of TikTok users' comments

However, a spokesperson for the Indonesian Attorney General's Office (AGO) has said the claim is false and that Jessica is still in prison.

The clip showing the law professor's remarks was also edited, leaving out the part of him saying there was an autopsy.

'Still serving her sentence'

On November 21, 2023, AGO spokesperson Ketut Sumedana told AFP that Jessica has not been released.

"Until now she is still serving her sentence in the correctional institution, the case was closed and could be opened only if there was new evidence," he said.

A reverse image search on Google found that the clip in the false post showing Edward's remarks was taken from a video uploaded by local online media Diskursus Net on YouTube on October 14, 2023 (archived links here and here).

"Prof Edward Omar Sharif Hiariej, or Prof Eddy, one of the expert witnesses in Jessica Kumala Wongso's trial, explains several reasons why Jessica Kumala Wongso was convicted in the Mirna Salihin murder case and sentenced to 20 years in jail," the video's description says.

The clip used in the false TikTok video can be seen from the 37:30 mark of the original footage.

In the original video, Edward tells host Yasmin Muntaz: "It would be too stupid if the police and prosecutor didn't conduct an autopsy in a murder case, no autopsy, no crime. There is no autopy, there is no crime. So, they did that," referring to the autopsy.

The false video omitted Edward's remark that there was an autopsy.

Below is a screenshot comparison of the video in the false post (left) and the original clip from Diskursus Net (right):

Screenshot comparison of the video in the false post (left) and the original clip from Diskursus Net (right)

Another Google reverse image search found that the second clip was taken from a video uploaded by local infotainment channel Intens Investigasi on October 15, 2023 (archived link).

According to the title, lawyer Otto Hasibuan disagreed with Edward's "explanation about the cause of Mirna's death".

The part used in the false video starts at the 1:52 mark of the original video.

Below is a screenshot comparison of the video in the false post (left) and the original clip from Intens Investigasi (right):

Screenshot comparison of the video in the false post (left) and the original clip from Intens Investigasi (right)

Neither Edward nor Otto says in their respective interviews that Jessica has been released from prison.

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