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View all search resultsBatam activist sentenced to six months in prison after criticizing local official
Yusril was arrested by the Batam Police on April 28 following a defamation complaint which stemmed from several TikTok videos he posted, in which he accused a local Satpol PP official of protecting street vendors operating in unauthorized areas.
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Batam activist Yusril Koto appears before the Batam District Court on Tuesday. He was sentenced to six months in prison and fined Rp 15 million (US$901.87) for defaming a Satpol PP officer in TikTok videos. (Jakarta Post/Fadli)
T
he Batam District Court has sentenced local social activist Yusril Koto to six months in prison for defamation after he publicly criticized a member of the city’s Public Order Agency (Satpol PP), underscoring growing concerns over the criminalization of activism in Indonesia.
In addition to the prison sentence, Yusril was ordered to pay a Rp 15 million (US$901.87) fine, with a substitute penalty of one additional month in jail if he fails to pay. The sentence was lighter than the prosecution’s demand of one year in prison and a Rp 25 million fine.
During the verdict hearing on Tuesday, presiding judge Vabiannes Stuart Wattimena stated that Yusril was found guilty of defaming Satpol PP officer Budi Elvin through his online posts.
“The court acknowledges that the defendant has been cooperative and has shown remorse, which was taken into account as a mitigating factor,” Judge Wattimena said.
Read also: Police arrest rights activist allegedly inciting riots
Speaking to the press after the verdict, Yusril said he would not appeal the sentence.
“Even in a cage, a tiger remains a tiger, not a house cat. This experience has been a lesson for me to grow and improve. I will continue to speak out against government policy abuses in Batam that harm the public interest, until the end of my life," he said.
