Jakarta. The Attorney General’s Office confirmed on Thursday they will not appeal the murder conviction and jail sentence of Richard Eliezer, although the prison term is far below what was demanded by prosecutors.

A day earlier, Richard was found guilty of murdering fellow officer Nofriansyah Yosua Hutabarat and sentenced to 18 months in prison, against the prosecutors’ demand of 12 years.

The panel of judges argued that Richard had acted as a “justice collaborator” whose revelation led investigators to the truth behind the high-profile murder case orchestrated by police general Ferdy Sambo, from the initial investigation which had been misled by the convicted mastermind into a fire exchange incident.

A senior prosecutor at the AGO said judges have delivered a "substantive justice" in the murder trial, which also saw Ferdy sentenced to death, so prosecutors won't bother to appeal.

“It means the verdict is final and binding,” Deputy Attorney General Fadil Zumhana told a news conference in Jakarta.

But the main reason for the prosecutors' stance was the fact that the parents of the victim have forgiven Richard, who apologetically kneeled and kissed their hands during a court hearing last October.

"In the national legal system, including religious norms and customs, forgiveness is the strongest word in a verdict," Fadil said.

"We prosecutors represent the victim, the state, and the people and we take this current development as one of our considerations to refrain from appealing."

Read More:

• Parents Make Plea to Prosecutors Not to Challenge Richard’s Verdict
• Dramatic Scene as Convicted Shooter in Yosua Murder Trial Gets only 18 Months
• Watch: Slain Officer's Mother Reacts to Death Sentence Verdict for Ferdy Sambo

During an exclusive interview with news broadcaster BTV on Wednesday, Richard's parents made a plea to prosecutors to drop any plan for an appeal.

“Please don’t lodge an appeal, that’s our plea to prosecutors who know firsthand how Richard behaved during court hearings,” Richard’s mother Rynecke Alma Pudihang said.

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