Ahmad Taufik

Ahmad Taufik (pronounced ); 12 July 1965 – 23 March 2017) was an Indonesian newspaper journalist known for his articles critical of the dictatorship of President Suharto.

Taufik worked as a reporter at the magazine Tempo until its banning by Information Minister Harmoko of Suharto's New Order government in 1994.

Biography Taufik was born on 12 July 1965 in Jakarta from family of Hadhrami descents. After finishing his high school at SMAN 24, he continued his study at Bandung Islamic University and graduated with a bachelor's degree in law. While in university he participated in some student protests against the Badega Land Case. He was subsequently charged under Article 19 of the press law, which bans the publication of an unlicensed newspaper or magazine, and Article 154 of the criminal code, which forbids the publication of "feelings of hostility, hatred or contempt toward the government".

On 1 September 1995, he was convicted of both charges and sentenced to a three-year prison term.

Taufik spent his sentence in five different prisons: the Jakarta District Police station, Salemba Prison, Cipinang Prison, Cirebon Prison, and Kuningan Prison. While in Cipinang Prison, Taufik became close with Xanana Gusmão, future President of East Timor. He was also visited by Jens Linde of the International Federation of Journalists. Due to his sentence, he was unable to receive the award in person until November 1997, following his release from prison. According to Taufik, he discovered following the fire that Winata had submitted plans for renovating the market only a few months before the fire.

On 7 March, the magazine was threatened with libel charges by Winata's lawyers; the following day, a group of over 200 protesters appeared at the Tempo offices and allegedly threatened to burn the office down, gouge Taufik's eyes out, shouted racial insults, and assaulted Taufik when he went outside to speak with them. The suit charged the three with libel, defamation, and refusing "to respect religious and moral norms". Amnesty International and the Committee to Protect Journalists both protested on behalf of the reporters, the former naming them potential prisoners of conscience. The Central Jakarta Court's ruling that Tempo had to pay $55,000 USD in damages was overturned. Harymutri welcomed the decision as "not a personal victory but a victory for all Indonesian journalists".