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Rights groups rejoice as Supreme Court upholds activists’ acquittal
In 2021, the coordinating maritime affairs and investment minister reported two activists for defamation after they made comments in a YouTube video about his alleged involvement in extractive mining in Papua and called the senior minister “lord”.
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Lokataru Foundation executive director Haris Azhar (right) and former Kontras coordinator Fatia Maulidiyanti (left) greet their supporters at the East Jakarta District Court on Jan. 8, 2024, after hearing the verdict in a defamation case against them. The panel of judges acquitted Haris and Fatia on all counts of defaming senior cabinet minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan in a YouTube video. (Antara/Fakhri Hermansyah)
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ights groups have applauded the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the acquittal of activists Haris Azhar and Fatia Maulidiyanti, who had faced charges of defaming senior cabinet minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, welcoming the ruling as a boon to freedom of expression in the country.
In 2021, the coordinating maritime affairs and investment minister reported Haris and Fatia for defamation and spreading misinformation after they made comments in a YouTube video about Luhut’s alleged involvement in extractive mining in Papua and called the senior minister “lord”.
Prosecutors charged both Haris and Fatia with defamation under the controversial Electronic Information and Transactions (ITE) Law.
The two activists were tried at the East Jakarta District Court, with prosecutors demanding a four-year prison sentence and a Rp 1 million (US$66.21) fine for Haris, the executive director of human rights watchdog the Lokataru Foundation, and a three-and-a-half year sentence and a Rp 500,000 fine for Fatia, coordinator of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (KontraS).
The panel of judges at the East Jakarta District Court cleared the activists of all charges in January of this year, stating that their comments did not constitute criminal defamation.
The judges noted that the term “lord” had been widely used by the public before in reference to the minister’s high position in the government. Haris and Fatia were also cleared of spreading misinformation as they had cited research by a number of civil society groups.
Read also: Relief as court acquits activists in Luhut’s defamation case
