Indonesia: Acquittal of activists brings new hope for right to protest

Responding to the acquittal of four activists - Delpedro Marhaen, Muzaffar Salim, Syahdan Husein and dan Khariq Anhar - accused by the authorities of inciting people to commit violent acts during the August 2025 protests, Usman Hamid, Amnesty International Indonesia’s Executive Director, 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 criminalising human rights defenders and anyone who peacefully exercises their right to protest. This is a significant victory for justice and human rights in Indonesia. 

“These activists 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 criticising government policies during the protests. Critics must not be silenced. No one should be jailed for expressing an opinion. The relentless crackdown on demonstrations and freedom of expression in Indonesia must end. An independent investigation into the police crackdown during these protests is the only credible path to accountability.” 

Police criticised for using excessive force

The judges at the Central District Jakarta court also criticised the excessive use of force police used against protesters, which Amnesty has documented. 

Earlier, prosecutors sought a two-year sentence for each of the activists, accusing them of posting “provocative and confrontational” posts on social media that “incited” people to protest in late-August 2025, alleging that these posts led to the damage of public facilities and the wounding of police officers.