Daniel Ahmad Fajri, Sukma N Loppies, Jakarta – Amnesty International Indonesia issued a report on Monday July 14 which details attacks on human rights defenders that have occurred on a massive scale in the first half of 2025.
"These facts shows the government's failure to respect efforts to protect human rights in Indonesia", said Amnesty International Indonesia Executive Director Usman Hamid in an official statement on Monday.
From January to June 2025, Amnesty International recorded attacks against at least 104 human rights defenders covering 54 separate cases. The peak occurred in May 2025, when 35 human rights defenders were victims of attacks.
Amnesty said more than half of the attacks were on human rights defenders who are members of indigenous communities fighting for land rights, as well as journalists attacked for their work. This includes 36 indigenous community members and 31 journalists.
Other human rights defenders who experienced attacks included community leaders (8), fishers (7), human rights activists (4), student activists (6), environmental activists (3), academics (2), farmers (2), anti-corruption activists (1), labour activists (1), advocates (1), teachers (1) and whistleblowers (1).
Out of the 53 cases that occurred during the period from January to June 2025, the police were suspected of being the main actors, namely in 20 cases. This was more than the number of attacks by other perpetrators, namely private companies (7), government employees (3), members of the Indonesian Military (TNI) (1), Public Order Agency (Satpol PP) officers (2) and others.
Amnesty International noted five forms of attacks against human rights defenders including reporting them to the police, arrest, criminalisation, intimidation and physical attacks, as well as attacks on the institutions where human rights defenders work.
"This must stop immediately. The government must publicly condemn these attacks, threats and intimidation against human rights defenders", said Hamid.
Amnesty International believes that the rise in authoritarian practices and policies, as well as the militarisation of civilian space, are the cause of the increase in attacks against human rights defenders.
Meanwhile the definition of a human rights defender, according to Amnesty International, are those who individually or collectively defend and/or promote the enforcement of human rights at the local, national, regional or international level. They do so through peaceful means, without inciting hatred or violence, and without discrimination.
They come from different groups and work to advance human rights professionally or voluntarily, ranging from journalists to indigenous peoples, lawyers, trade union members, whistleblowers, farmers, victims and families of victims of human rights violations.
Meanwhile, Human Rights Minister Natalius Pigai has not responded to Tempo's request for comment on the Amnesty International report. He has not responded to a message sent to his mobile number on Monday.
Contacted separately on Monday, National Police Public Relations Division head Inspector General Sandi Nugroho has also not responded to Amnesty International's report regarding attacks on human rights defenders.
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Laporan Amnesty: 104 Pembela HAM Diserang pada Paruh Pertama 2025".]
