Residents from Sukena’s village also voiced their support, saying that they believed the porcupines were not rare, and even a potential pest, according to local media.
Mrs Rieke Diah Pitaloka, a lawmaker in Indonesia’s ruling party, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), also compared Sukena’s arrest to corruption cases, which are damaging to the state but have lighter sentences.
“Cases (of corruption) should have heavier sanctions. Do you agree, Indonesian people? Viralise this case, we help the struggle to free Nyoman Sukena,” Mrs Rieke said through her Instagram and TikTok accounts, as quoted by Kompas on Tuesday.
Mrs Rieke was one of the guarantors of Sukena’s suspended detention, which was granted by the Denpasar court on Thursday.
Another member of parliament, Nyoman Parta, hopes that the sentence given to Sukena will be as lenient as possible.
“The reason is that Sukena has good intentions, keeping the porcupines to preserve them, even his pet porcupines were used for Ngayah (Balinese social tradition activities),” said Mr Parta, who is also a member of PDI-P.
Trisakti University criminal law expert Albert Aries said that the five-year charge against Sukena for keeping porcupines was a form of excessive legal application.
According to him, Sukena should have been acquitted because the porcupines were well cared for, breeding, and even used for traditional ceremonies.
“It is useful for the local indigenous people, so he should be acquitted or at least released,” Albert was quoted as saying by Kompas.
Another legal observer, Hardjuno Wiwoho, said judges should apply the principle of justice, not just the black-and-white rules written in the law.
Hardjuno said Sukena’s case was also important to spread awareness of the rules on protected animals.
“Without adequate knowledge sharing it is reasonable that ordinary people do not know this rule,” he told Detik.
The Indonesian government protects the Javan porcupine as it is threatened with extinction due to poaching and loss of natural habitat.
This herbivorous animal, often found in Java and Bali, is commonly hunted for its meat, thorns or stone-like internal organs called bezoar.
There are an estimated 300,000 species of wildlife, or around 17 per cent of the world’s animals, in Indonesia.
According to a report by the Indonesian Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK), there are 137 species of mammals, 37 species of reptiles, 26 species of insects and 20 species of fish that are protected under the law because they are considered endangered.
Following Sukena’s case, KLHK said it would intensify spreading awareness about protected animals to the public.
“There are many types of protected animals, so we have conducted so many publicity efforts,” the ministry’s natural resources and ecosystem conservation director general, Satyawan Pudyatmoko, said on Tuesday, as reported by Antara news agency.
“But perhaps for certain areas we have to intensify the information efforts for protected animals,” he added.
