Air Transport

Indonesia’s national airline Garuda has been found guilty of negligence after a leading human rights activist who had been poisoned died during a flight.

Munir Thalib fell sick and died during a flight to Amsterdam in 2004.

The judgement, which also found the pilot of flight GA 974 guilty of negligence, came in a civil case brought against Garuda by Mr Munir's widow.

The judge ruled that the pilot failed to take necessary action when Mr Munir first fell sick.

In the event of an emergency involving a passenger, pilots should consult a purser or doctor on the ground and, if necessary, land at the nearest airport, the judge said.

The court ordered Garuda and the pilot to pay a fine of more than $88,000. The lawsuit filed in October had sought almost $1.7 million.

Police believe Mr Munir was poisoned during a transit at Singapore's Changi airport.

Mr Munir was an outspoken critic of the Indonesian military and its methods in quashing dissent in the Aceh and Papua provinces.