Responding to the wiretapping case involving the former National Police Chief (Kapolri) and two high-ranking National Police officials, Amnesty International Indonesia Executive Director Usman Hamid, said:
"This is a scandal that has serious implications for human rights, from civil, political, economic rights, to press freedom. Referring to the statement by the Kabareskrim [National Police Criminal Investigation Bureau Chief], it is clear that this is not only about wiretapping the president, but also about wiretapping the movements of politicians, businesspeople, journalists and activists. We are urging that this scandal be fully unravelled, not just because the president is the victim, and never mind that it went on throughout 2025-2026. The victims could be hundreds of activists, journalists, opposition politicians and human rights defenders.
If this scandal is left unchecked, it could lead to secret policing to tame the opposition, similar to the Big Brother phenomenon in George Orwell's novel which has become a classic metaphor for a totalitarian surveillance state.
This potential for [illegal] wiretapping was warned of in Amnesty International's May 1, 2024 investigative report titled A web of surveillance: Unravelling a murky network of spyware exports to Indonesia. This report revealed the importation and application of spyware tools in Indonesia by a number of companies and state institutions, including the National Police (Polri) and the National Cyber and Crypto Agency (BSSN). The report revealed the purchase of spying tools from Israel – Q Cyber Technologies which is linked to NSO Group (Pegasus) – Intellexa (Predator), Candiru and Wintego.
We urge the National Police to publicly reveal the names of actors other than the president who have been victims of illegal wiretapping. Not only the victims in the Palace circle, but also among the people: critical businesspeople and politicians, to journalists and activists who are often haunted by intimidation and criminalisation.
We have warned that these Israeli-made spy devices are vulnerable to being misused to spy on civil society, including human rights defenders, journalists and critical politicians. Especially considering the shrinking of civil space due to increasing attacks on freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, personal security and freedom from arbitrary action, as Amnesty articulated in its annual report.
Therefore, this case must be read not as a personal conflict between former president Joko "Jokowi" Widodo vs President Prabowo Subianto, but rather the responsibility of two governments: the Jokowi government which built a surveillance ecosystem without judicial oversight, and the Prabowo government which inherited and preserved it, and only acted when the tools were turned on themselves. Both parties are responsible for silencing critical voices.
So, the wiretapping case by the President's former Chief of Staff and former National Police Chief, and other high-ranking National Police officials is not just an ordinary violation, but has become a systematic violation of human rights, including the right to privacy, as regulated under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) which was ratified through Law Number 12/2005 – and Articles 28G and 28F of the 1945 Constitution. Apart from violating the right to privacy, there is an even bigger crime: the interception of hundreds of critical voices.
Therefore, the National Police must not only investigate wiretapping cases that target the president and those in circles of power, but must thoroughly investigate the impact of the wiretapping case more broadly. It is necessary to reveal who the victims are and thoroughly investigate the wiretapping case transparently.
The National Police and other state institutions must also refrain from using wiretapping technology whose use is not regulated by adequate safeguards to prevent misuse. A moratorium on the use of Pegasus spyware by the National Police and BSSN must be implemented immediately until there is a human rights-compliant wiretapping law.
The government must also carry out independent, impartial and transparent investigations into the purchase and use of spy software and surveillance technology, as mentioned in the Amnesty report, including investigating cases of human rights violations resulting from the use of such technology.
The House of Representatives (DPR) needs to create laws governing surveillance, which are in line with human rights standards. A wiretapping law must ensures that every wiretapping be subject to judicial authorisation, clear procedural protections, transparent implementation and strong multi-layered supervision. Without it, illegal wiretapping could be repeated to silence opposition.
All these steps need to be taken immediately to ensure that civil society can carry out activities in an environment free from fear of unlawful surveillance from the authorities.
The DPR together with the government must immediately form an independent committee, not only internally within the National Police, but involving civil society and independent institutions. This is important to thoroughly investigate this scandal. The principles of independence and impartiality are absolute. This case cannot end in an ethical and criminal investigation, but must become a new door to total reform of the wiretapping system in Indonesia."
Background
The Chief of Staff of the President of the Republic of Indonesia who is also the former National Police Chief, Listyo Sigit Prabowo, along with two high-ranking National Police officials have been named suspects in cases of alleged wiretapping of the president, state officials, businesspeople, the media and non-governmental organisation figures throughout 2025-2026. Two high-ranking National Police officials who are also suspects are Ahrie Sonta Nasution (Head of the Legal Division) and Eko Hadi Santoso (Principle National Police Lecturer Level 1 at the National Police Training and Education Institute Leadership and Staff School (Sespim Lemdiklat)).
Speaking at the National Police Headquarters in Jakarta on Tuesday November 3, National Police Criminal Investigation Bureau Chief Asep Safrudin stated, "The suspects are suspected of carrying out non-procedural or illegal tapping of the telephone numbers of the President of the Republic of Indonesia, state officials, political figures, then the media, mass organisation figures, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and businesspeople".
According to media reports, apart from allegedly carrying out wiretapping without legal procedures, the suspects are also suspected of deleting log data in October 2026 to eliminate traces.
The National Police Criminal Investigations Directorate (Bareskrim) has detained and charged the suspects with multiple articles related to cases of alleged illegal wiretapping and unauthorised access to electronic systems. They are suspected of violating Article 258 of Law Number 1/2023 on the Criminal Code (KUHP), Article 332 Paragraph 1 and/or Paragraph 2 of the KUHUP, and Article 32 Paragraph 1 of the Information and Electronic Transaction (ITE) Law.
Amnesty International on May 1, 2024, issued an investigative report entitled A web of surveillance: Unravelling a murky network of spyware exports to Indonesia. The report, which was the result of collaboration with a number of research institutions and international mass media, revealed the export of surveillance technology (spyware) to Indonesia.
Based on open data searches – including commercial trade databases and mapping of spyware infrastructure – the investigative report revealed various cases of the importation and application of spyware in Indonesia between 2017 and 2023 by a number of companies and state institutions, including the National Police (Polri) and the National Cyber and Crypto Agency (BSSN).
- The Amnesty report can be accessed at this link: https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/asa21/7974/2024/en/
- See also Amnesty reveals evidence police buying invasive Israeli spyware through Singapore. Kompas.com – July 22, 2024: https://www.indoleft.org/news/2024-07-22/amnesty-reveals-evidence-police-buying-invasive-israeli-spyware-through-singapore.html
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Skandal penyadapan bukan semata-mata makar terhadap presiden, ini soal oposisi yang dijinakkan".]
