PAKAR conducts terrorism trial-monitoring activities in an effort to assist Indonesian government in developing policies and reforms that enhance respect for the rule of law and human rights. While these activities are aimed at having a long-term positive impact on the way justice systems function, monitoring terrorism trials can also have an immediate impact, as the presence of our researchers can encourage compliance with national and international fair-trial standards in an individual trial or series of cases and ultimately increase transparency and public confidence in the judiciary.
An example is PAKAR’s monitoring of trials of Al Qaeda Indonesia terrorist group. In the end of each trial session, PAKAR outlines what has happened in it. When the trials of the group members have ended completely, PAKAR writes a reports on a number of shortcomings in how the legal system has handled the case and also offers recommendations to assist the Indonesian authorities in their efforts to improve the administration of criminal justice in the country. This forms the basis for a number of follow-up activities PAKAR is carrying out with the Indonesian authorities.