An Indonesian court on Borneo island on Wednesday jailed a man for eight months after he grew medicinal marijuana to help ease the pain being suffered by his cancer-stricken wife, who died shortly after his arrest, his lawyer said.
Indonesia has amongst the strictest drug laws in the world and has been jailing a record number of users and dealers because of what the government says is a drugs emergency facing the country.
The hardline approach to drugs is broadly popular in the Southeast Asian country, but the story of Fidelis Arie has stirred sympathy and outrage from rights activists.
The Sanggau district court in West Kalimantan province jailed Arie for eight months and fined him 1 billion rupiah ($75,000), his lawyer Marcelina Lin said by telephone from the court. The term was longer than the five months that the prosecution had sought.
According to his lawyer, the court had found that Arie did not have a permit to use marijuana and had supplied it to another person, although he said the judge accepted that he was not a user or a dealer.
Lin said his client, a father of two, had cried on hearing the verdict and was still considering whether to appeal the verdict. He is currently being held in the Sanggau Correctional Institute.
The sister of the convicted man, Yohana, also said the family was still weighing up whether he should appeal.
"Because any decision won't make his wife come back," she said in a telephone text message.
Rights groups and legal activists condemned the verdict.
"Fidelis might have committed a crime in planting those marijuana bushes but it was done in an emergency situation," said Andreas Harsono of Human Rights Watch.
"He did that planting for his love of his wife. He should not be jailed for loving his wife," said Harsono.
The Institute for Criminal Justice Reform (ICJR) also called for all charges should be dropped against Arie.
"This case should open the government's eyes, especially those of the president whose statements about the war on drugs...have resulted in Fidelis becoming one of the victims".
Indonesian President Joko Widodo recently told law enforcement officers to shoot drug traffickers to deal with the narcotics emergency in the country. Widodo has also been criticised by rights groups and some foreign governments for ordering the executions of convicted drug traffickers.
Reuters
Wed Aug 02 2017
![Indonesia jails man who grew marijuana to treat cancer-stricken wife Indonesia jails man who grew marijuana to treat cancer-stricken wife](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/http://img.astroawani.com/2017-08/41501661854_Marijuana.jpg)
An Indonesian court on Borneo island on Wednesday jailed a man for eight months after he grew medicinal marijuana to help ease the pain being suffered by his cancer-stricken wife. -Pix for illustration only
![Jepun tamatkan amaran gempa bumi mega Jepun tamatkan amaran gempa bumi mega](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-08/41723715377_TBJapan.jpg)
Jepun tamatkan amaran gempa bumi mega
Jepun pada Khamis menamatkan nasihat risiko gempa bumi dengan magnitud yang lebih tinggi daripada biasa, seminggu selepas gegaran kuat di dasar laut Palung Nankai.
![Tular rakaman CCTV, suspek pecah rumah di Sentul ditahan Tular rakaman CCTV, suspek pecah rumah di Sentul ditahan](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-08/61723715171_TBIPDSentul.jpg)
Tular rakaman CCTV, suspek pecah rumah di Sentul ditahan
Polis menahan seorang lelaki dipercayai terlibat dalam sembilan kes pecah rumah di Residensi Sky Awani 1 dan 2 di Sentul.
!['Stringer' raih banyak faedah sekiranya mencarum dengan Perkeso 'Stringer' raih banyak faedah sekiranya mencarum dengan Perkeso](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-08/81723710107_TBFAhmi.jpg)
'Stringer' raih banyak faedah sekiranya mencarum dengan Perkeso
Pengamal media sambilan yang mencarum dengan Perkeso akan dilindungi dan menerima banyak faedah sekiranya berlaku kemalangan ketika menjalankan tugas.
![Jemaah umrah terkandas di lapangan terbang Jeddah mahu penjelasan MAS Jemaah umrah terkandas di lapangan terbang Jeddah mahu penjelasan MAS](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-08/41723715159_jeddahkandasawani.jpg)
Jemaah umrah terkandas di lapangan terbang Jeddah mahu penjelasan MAS
Beberapa penumpang menunggu lebih 24 jam untuk mendapatkan penjelasan lanjut daripada pengurusan MAB namun terus hampa.
![Kerajaan Persekutuan, negeri perlu tingkat kepantasan beri kelulusan untuk tarik pelabur - PM Anwar Kerajaan Persekutuan, negeri perlu tingkat kepantasan beri kelulusan untuk tarik pelabur - PM Anwar](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-08/41723712785_AnwarIbrahim.jpg)
Kerajaan Persekutuan, negeri perlu tingkat kepantasan beri kelulusan untuk tarik pelabur - PM Anwar
Kerajaan Persekutuan, negeri perlu meningkatkan kepantasan dalam memberi kelulusanbagi menjadikan Malaysia tumpuan pelabur.
![Pemandu maut lori terbalik, kesesakan 2 jam di Lebuhraya PLUS Ipoh-Kuala Kangsar Pemandu maut lori terbalik, kesesakan 2 jam di Lebuhraya PLUS Ipoh-Kuala Kangsar](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-08/71723712690_kemalangantrelerP.jpg)
Pemandu maut lori terbalik, kesesakan 2 jam di Lebuhraya PLUS Ipoh-Kuala Kangsar
Seorang pemandu lori maut manakala kelindan cedera selepas kenderaan yang mereka naiki terbabas lalu terbalik di Kilometer 257 Lebuhraya PLUS arah utara, dekat sini, petang ini.
RADIO 360: Integrasi teknologi kumpul maklumat pendengar, data lebih komprehensif
RADIO 360 Malaysia merentasi 11 stesen radio Astro yang boleh diakses di aplikasi SYOK termasuk Era, Sinar, Gegar, Hitz, Mix, My dan Raaga.
![Tindakan Faisal Halim undang rasa sebak penyokong bola sepak Tindakan Faisal Halim undang rasa sebak penyokong bola sepak](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-08/71723706908_TBFaisalHalim.jpg)
Tindakan Faisal Halim undang rasa sebak penyokong bola sepak
Tindakan bintang Selangor FC, Faisal Halim yang bertemu pemain Sabah FC ketika perlawanan Liga Super minggu ke-9 mengundang rasa sebak.
![KPDN fokus pengantarabangsaan produk tempatan ke empat negara - Armizan KPDN fokus pengantarabangsaan produk tempatan ke empat negara - Armizan](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-08/61723712231_LotusKPDNKBBM.jpg)
KPDN fokus pengantarabangsaan produk tempatan ke empat negara - Armizan
KPDN menyasarkan penembusan produk buatan Malaysia di pasaran antarabangsa dengan kerjasama beberapa rangkaian pasar raya besar luar negara.
Ekonomi Gig: Persediaan awal belia ke arah pekerjaan stabil
Menurut Pensyarah, Asia Pacific University (Apu), Dr Nor Azrul Mohd Zin, platform ini memberi peluang kepada belia untuk menimba ilmu, mempelajari pelbagai kemahiran dan memperoleh pendapatan sementara menunggu peluang pekerjaan yang lebih stabil.