DENPASAR, DEWATA.NEWS – A Dutch–Russian couple facing trial in Bali for alleged hydroponic cannabis cultivation returned to court on Tuesday (March 10) at the Denpasar District Court, where one of the defendants formally challenged the prosecution’s charges.
The defendants, Nirul Rashim Abdoelrazak, a Dutch national, and his wife Kseniia Varlamova, a Russian national, are being prosecuted in separate case files related to the discovery of marijuana plants at a rented house in Denpasar.
During Tuesday’s hearing, Abdoelrazak’s case was postponed by the panel of judges led by Iman Luqmanul Hakim until March 31, 2026, while the court arranges a Dutch–Indonesian interpreter.
Meanwhile, the trial continued for Varlamova, whose legal team submitted a formal objection, known as an eksepsi, challenging aspects of the prosecutor’s indictment.
Through her legal counsel, Dr. Ni Wayan Umi Martina, Varlamova argued that the cannabis plants found by police did not belong to her but to her husband, Abdoelrazak.
The defense also disputed the prosecution’s statement regarding her residence, claiming that Varlamova did not live at the property located on Jalan Bina Kusuma IV in the Merta Gangga neighborhood of Ubung Kaja, Denpasar.
According to the defense statement, all cannabis plants discovered at the residence were owned, cultivated, and controlled solely by Abdoelrazak.
The objection also stated that the plants identified as CBD cannabis, were planted, maintained, and used by Abdoelrazak himself inside the property.
Prosecutors are expected to respond to the defense objection during the next court hearing.
The case stems from an investigation by Bali Police’s Narcotics Directorate, which arrested the couple on October 1, 2025, at the rented house on Jalan Bina Kusuma IV in Ubung Kaja.
Authorities alleged that the couple illegally produced and cultivated Category I narcotics in plant form, with the total amount exceeding one kilogram or more than five cannabis plants.
Investigators said the cultivation was carried out using a hydroponic system inside a growing tent set up within the residence.
According to case documents presented by prosecutors, the cultivation process allegedly began with cannabis seeds placed on wet tissue to encourage root growth.
Once roots developed, the seedlings were transferred into plastic cups lined with damp tissue before being moved to a growing medium made from coconut fiber.
The plants were then placed in containers filled with water and later transferred into larger white pots as they grew. Prosecutors said the plants were regularly watered and fertilized until they matured.
The operation was eventually uncovered by Bali Police investigators, leading to the arrest of the couple and the seizure of the plants. The case continues to be processed at the Denpasar District Court.