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.

Garuda 737-800

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.

Source: FlightGlobal.com

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