Indonesia: Acquittal of activists brings new hope for right to protest
Responding to the acquittal of four activists accused by authorities of inciting people to commit violent acts during the August 2025 protests, Amnesty International Indonesia’s Executive Director Usman Hamid said:
“This brings new hope amid an increasingly shrinking civic space in Indonesia. The acquittal sends a clear message to law enforcement authorities that they should stop criminalizing human rights defenders and anyone who peacefully exercises their right to protest. This is a significant victory for justice and human rights in Indonesia.
“Delpedro, Muzaffar, Syahdan and dan Khariq should never have been charged in the first place simply for calling people to protest during the August 2025 protests on social media. The judges made it very clear in their verdict that the activists’ calls for people to join the protests had no causal link with the violence that erupted during the August protests in Jakarta.
“The acquittal should now trigger the release of those detained solely for opposing or criticizing government policies during the August protests.”
