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View all search resultsWomen’s rights group to file amicus brief against minister’s denial of 1998 mass rape
Women’s rights group the Legal Aid Foundation of the Indonesian Women's Association for Justice (LBH APIK) said on Monday it will file an amicus curiae (friend of the court) brief this week in support of a lawsuit against Culture Minister Fadli Zon’s denial of the 1998 mass rapes.
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Activists from the Solidarity Network for Victims and Justice (JSKK) hold posters during the 861st Kamisan (Thursdays) peaceful protest on May 15, 2025, in front of the State Palace in Jakarta. The protest called on the Attorney General's Office to take concrete action on unresolved human rights violations that occurred in May 1998. (Antara/Fathul Habib Sholeh)
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omen’s rights group the Legal Aid Foundation of the Indonesian Women's Association for Justice (LBH APIK) said on Monday it will file an amicus curiae (friend of the court) brief this week in support of a lawsuit against Culture Minister Fadli Zon’s denial of the 1998 mass rapes.
It will be the second amicus brief lodged by civil groups with the Jakarta State Administrative Court to contend that Fadli should not attempt to distort the history of what happened to Chinese-Indonesian women during the riots almost three decades ago.
Khotimun Susanti from LBH APIK said the mass rapes should be viewed “through a transitional justice framework”, a concept that prioritizes the rights of female victims and other vulnerable groups affected by human rights violations, instead of being dismissed as a “rumor” due to insufficient evidence as claimed by Fadli.
The court is hearing a lawsuit brought by seven plaintiffs who accused Fadli of commiting an unlawful act as a government official last year when he publicly denied that the mass rapes took place during the May 1998 riots, which preceded the fall of former president Soeharto’s authoritarian regime. The plaintiffs, including former attorney general Marzuki Darusman who was involved in the non-judicial investigation into human rights violations during the riots, demanded that Fadli retract his statement and apologize to survivors and victims’ families.
Fadli’s controversial statement has previously provoked public backlash.
Read also: Scholars back lawsuit against minister’s denial of 1998 mass rape
Last month, 18 prominent law professors and legal practitioners grouped under the Constitution and Administrative Law Society (CALS) filed a brief urging the court to consider the legal and social consequences of Fadli’s denial, particularly for the victims and their families.
