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View all search resultsHuman rights defenders face unrelenting attacks: Amnesty
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Police officers surround a protester on Aug. 22, 2024, amid demonstrations against the revision of the Regional Elections Law, in front of the legislative complex in Central Jakarta. (Antara/Muhammad Adimaja)
H
uman rights group Amnesty International Indonesia has documented what it calls a “massive” wave of attacks on human rights defenders in the first half of 2025, warning of deteriorating civic space and the government’s persistent failure to protect those speaking out.
In a report released earlier this week, the rights watchdog recorded 54 separate incidents affecting 104 individuals between January and June. These attacks came in the form of police reports, arrests, criminalization, intimidation and even physical violence.
Indigenous communities and journalists made up the largest share of victims, with 36 and 31 individuals targeted, respectively. Others included university students, academics and activists involved in labor-rights, anti-corruption and environmental campaigns.
The attacks peaked in May, with at least 35 defenders targeted that month alone, coinciding with a wave of nationwide protests, particularly during Labor Day demonstrations to demand stronger protections for labor rights.
The report highlights a troubling trend as the mid-year figure already approaches half of the 123 attacks Amnesty recorded throughout 2024, which affected nearly 300 human rights defenders.
“This shows the government's ongoing failure to protect those who defend human rights in Indonesia,” said Amnesty International Indonesia executive director Usman Hamid. “Even indigenous communities who are defending their land continue to face criminalization and harassment.”
Read also: Journalists, students report police brutality during May Day protest
