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View all search resultsDetained protester’s death raises prison neglect concerns
Alfarisi, a 21-year-old protester who was arrested following nationwide protests against economic hardship in August 2025, died at a detention center reportedly after suffering from a seizure.
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A demonstrator carries the Red-and-White National Flag and a pirate flag from Japanese anime 'One Piece' during a protest in front of the East Java gubernatorial residence in Surabaya, East Java on Aug. 29, 2025, against police brutality after the killing of an 'ojol' (online motorcycle transportation) driver in Jakarta motorbike taxi driver the previous night. Clashes between protesters and police broke out on Aug. 28 over calls for higher wages and perceived lavish perks for lawmakers, as public discontent grows over the government's handling of the economy. (AFP/Juni Kriswanto)
T
he death of a protester detained after the anti-government protest in late August in Surabaya, East Java, has drawn scrutiny from rights activists over prisoner neglect in detention centers and the state’s failure to protect those in its custody.
Alfarisi, 21, protester who was arrested after nationwide protests over economic inequality and lawmakers’ lavish allowance in August, died at the Surabaya Detention Center on the morning of Dec. 30. He reportedly suffered from a seizure before being taken to the facility’s clinic.
The Surabaya chapter of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras Surabaya), which assisted nine protesters detained during the August protests in the city including Alfarisi, said it received the news of his death from a family member on the same day.
According to Kontras Surabaya coordinator Fatkhul Khoir, the group and Alfarisi’s family did not receive any clear explanation regarding his cause of death.
“The circumstances surrounding his death remain suspicious, as there has been no official explanation from officials at the detention center regarding the cause,” Fatkhul said on Tuesday.
Kontras Surabaya raised concerns over the handling of Alfarisi’s medical emergency, highlighting the time gap between the reported seizure at dawn and his death at around 6 a.m. Alfarisi’s family, who received his body on the day of his death, also told Kontras Surabaya they observed bruising on his chest.
During the family’s last visit on Dec. 24, they reported no apparent health issues seen on Alfarisi, except for a drastic weight loss of up to 40 kilograms. Kontras Surabaya further said the detainee was struggling with psychological distress during his time at the detention facility.
