Hendrik Yaputra, Jakarta – The Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence (Kontras) reported 205 incidents of civil liberty violations during the first year of the presidency of President Prabowo Subianto and Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka.
Kontras Coordinator Dimas Bagus Arya stated during a Human Rights Day 2025 discussion in Jakarta on Tuesday, September 9, 2025, that the vast majority of these incidents, 175, were allegedly carried out by the Indonesian National Police (Polri).
"Meanwhile, 5 incidents were attributed to the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) and 14 to the government," he added.
Out of the hundreds of reported incidents, a staggering total of 5,101 individuals became victims. These violations included 661 injuries, 134 acts of violence, and 4,291 arbitrary arrests.
The largest category, 4,291 arbitrary arrests, was dominated by detentions that occurred during the late August 2025 demonstrations. Dimas stressed that those participating in the protests should not have been arrested merely for expressing their grievances. "At that time, the community was expressing concern due to economic conditions," he said.
In the context of the August to September demonstrations, Kontras received 46 reports of forced arrests. After being identified, 34 individuals experienced short-term enforced disappearances, taken to unknown locations before being officially detained.
Kontras also documented 43 cases of violations of religious and belief freedoms, which included 14 incidents of worship bans, 9 instances of destruction (of religious facilities), 6 refusals to grant permits for building places of worship, and 4 cases each of intimidation, persecution, and the sealing of places of worship.
Widespread protests accompanied by riots occurred across various regions of Indonesia from August 25 to early September 2025.
The initial mobilization was sparked by dissent over the proposal of new allowances for members of the People's Consultative Assembly of the Republic of Indonesia, specifically housing allowances. These protests were compounded by the increase in property and land taxes in several regions, as well as pervasive public dissatisfaction with the government's perceived failure to adequately address economic disparities and the rising cost of living.
The protests tragically escalated into larger clashes after a ride-hailing driver, Affan Kurniawan, was hit and crushed by a police armored vehicle while authorities attempted to break through a crowd on Penjernihan Street.
Following the August demonstrations, government officials provided differing figures regarding the number of individuals designated as suspects.
Minister Coordinator for Legal Affairs, Human Rights, Immigration, and Corrections Yusril Ihza Mahendra stated that nearly a thousand people were designated as suspects: "The number of suspects is now 997," he said in a press conference on September 26, 2025.
Chief of the Criminal Investigation Agency of the Indonesian National Police, Commissioner General Syahardiantono, provided a slightly lower figure: "In total, there are 959 suspects, consisting of 664 adults and 295 children," he reported on Wednesday, September 24, 2025.
– Vedro Imanuel Girsang contributed to this report