The institute's policy analyst Yohan Misero said his institute agreed with the police's decision in this case, as he believes that every drug user deserves the chance to undergo rehabilitation to treat their addiction.

“However, we hope the police will extend this leniency to other drug users as well, not just for public figures and those who are related to them,” Yohan said in a press release on Wednesday.

While Article 54 of the 2009 Narcotics Law requires drug users to undergo social and medical rehabilitation, Article 127 of the same law also stipulates for a drug users imprisonment, which some point out is a contradiction.

Yohan also pointed out that lawmaker Henry Yosodiningrat, who is actively campaigning to criminalize drug use, should realize how important it is to decriminalize drug use and advocate for users' rights to access drug rehabilitation services.

Previously, spokesperson of the Jakarta Police Sr. Comr. Argo Yuwono said the police had received a request from Henry to search his son, identified only as R, after the latter did not show up at his home after his curfew on Monday.

The police then conducted a search to locate the missing son, eventually finding R at a gas station in South Jakarta. R reportedly underwent a urine test, but it was not disclosed if he was found to have consumed any drugs at the time.

“We decided to return him to his home so that his parents could take him to a doctor,” Argo said as quoted by Kompas.com on Tuesday. (dpk/ahw)

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