Michael Bachelard – In August a 69-year-old prisoner died of natural causes in an Indonesian hospital. This was not meant to happen.

Bagus BT Saragih, Jakarta – Law and Human Rights Minister Amir Syamsudin downplayed on Wednesday the recent arrest of a judge by the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) for having a "drug p

AHRC-OLT-016-2012

Jakarta – The death penalty was still necessary within the Indonesian criminal law system, Deputy Law and Human Rights Minister Denny Indrayana said during a discussion held in commemor

Jakarta – As the world celebrates "World Day against the Death Penalty" on Wednesday, a coalition of human rights groups has urged the government to abolish the death penalty, describin

A Joint Statement by KontraS, LBH Masyarakat, LeIP, YLBHI, Imparsial, LBH Jakarta, Mappi and the Asian Human Rights Commission

Recent brawls among high school students left two dead in separate incidents in the city, leading to an outcry on how the chronic problem might be overcome.

Prodita Sabarini – A 15-year-old boy returned home on the night of March 14 this year to find all the lights in his house in Depok, turned off.

Jakarta, Indonesia – The Law and Human Rights Ministry is currently preparing a scheme to implement Law No.

Stephanie Quine – The access-to-justice system in East Timor is in "crisis", an Australian lawyer working there has said.

UA: 237/12 Index: ASA 21/030/2012

Alex Tinsley – The case of Benny Wenda, leader of the West Papuan independence movement, is a perfect illustration of the need to reform Interpol and its abused red notice system.

A list is currently circulating on the internet which purports to list international supporters of the OPM (Organisasi Papua Merdek) in West Papua.

Margareth S.

Index: ASA 21/023/2012

Urgent Appeal Case: AHRC-UAC-085-2012

Dear friends,

At least 42 prisoners – both political and criminal – have been beaten by warders in Abepura Prison where they are being held, These beatings occurring on 30 April.

A few dozen judges from several areas recently came to Jakarta to protest their low salaries.

Ismira Lutfia – In a study of two prison in Greater Jakarta, only 9 percent of juvenile offenders had access to lawyers, 74 percent shared their cells with adult criminals and 98 percen

Markus Junianto Sihaloho & Agus Triyono – An outspoken legislator has taken up the cause of district court judges across the country who have threatened to go on strike unless they

Severianus Endi, Pontianak – Efforts to provide people with legal assistance need to be stepped up in the wake of what many call the "gross criminalization" of communities by palm-oil c

Rizky Amelia & Ezra Sihite – Criticism of Deputy Justice Minister Denny Indrayana alleged mistreatment of a Pekanbaru prison guard continued to mount Tuesday afternoon as a regional

Ulma Haryanto – In the wake of a court's decision that Irzen Octa died of natural causes, the former lawmaker's widow said on Friday that she would not give up the fight until justice i

Bagus BT Saragih, Jakarta – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono swore in the new Supreme Court Chief Justice M. Hatta Ali at the State Palace on Thursday.

Ulma Haryanto – The Supreme Court issued a decree on Tuesday updating the definition and treatment of petty crimes, but observers said that because the new rules were only applicable to

Made Arya Kencana, Farouk Arnaz & Ezra Sihite – Calls mounted on Wednesday for the government to deal with the chronic overcrowding of its jails and detention facilities following t

Urgent Appeal Case: AHRC-UAC-028-2012

Dear friends,

Agus Triyono – The Supreme Court's decision to scrap eight points from the code of ethics for judges has prompted civil society groups to file a formal complaint against the five justic

Agus Triyono & Made Arya Kencana – Potentially further straining tensions between the Supreme Court and the Judicial Commission, the country's top court announced on Tuesday that it

Agus Triyono – Former antigraft czar and convicted murderer Antasari Azhar on Monday lost his bid for a review of his murder trial and the police investigation that led up to it.

Sumenep, East Java – A lone protester let loose more than 100 poisonous snakes in the Sumenep District Court to vent his anger after judges rejected his claim that he was the rightful o

The arrest on Wednesday of Ber-naldi Kadir Djemat, who reported TV-actor-turned-politician Zumi Zola to the police on Jan.

Ina Parlina, Jakarta – Long considered as a bastion in the country's judicial system, the Supreme Court (MA) these days is plagued with money politics ahead of the selection of its chie

Ronna Nirmala – In the wake of a public uproar over a series of trials for petty crimes, Justice and Human Rights Minister Amir Syamsuddin said on Wednesday that the government would pr

Dicky Christanto, Jakarta – The Supreme Court is upholding a guilty verdict for the maid who stole some oxtail meat and a few plates from her boss, sentencing the 60-year-old to time pr

Fitri – With the case against 46-year-old Muhsan in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, coconuts are joining sandals, cacao pods, bananas and plates as items of evidence in the prosecution of t

A community in eastern Indonesia has placed 1,000 pink adenium flowers outside the local parliament, police station and courtroom, not to say thanks, but to send a message: leave our ki

Ulma Haryanto & Rahmat – Yet another minor is being tried for a petty crime, this time in South Sulawesi, prompting activists to highlight the urgency of passing the Juvenile Court

Urgent Appeal Update: AHRC-UAU-001-2012. RE: AHRC-UAC-123-2011: Whistleblower illegally charged following his complaint about corruption at Manado State University.

Michelle Natalie, Makassar – A South Sulawesi man is facing five years in prison for the theft of ground pepper, despite one assertion that the victim has no interest in seeing the elde

Cilacap, Central Java – Judges at the Cilacap District Court sentenced a former warden of Nusakambangan penitentiary on Thursday to 13 years in prison.

Made Arya Kencana – A 15-year-old on trial for stealing a purse that contained Rp 1,000 (11 cents) was found guilty by a Denpasar court on Tuesday, but was released into the custody of

Kupang – Hundreds of human rights activists in So'e, South Central Timor regency, East Nusa Tenggara, poured into the streets and distributed flowers to law enforcers.

Ezra Sihite & Ulma Haryanto – The House of Representatives is pushing for the passage of Juvenile Court legislation after controversy created by the case of the sandal-stealing teen

Agus Maryono, Cilacap – Banyumas Muhammadiyah student activists initiated on Friday a movement to collect 1,000 bananas as a show of support for Kuatno, a man charged with stealing 15 b

Jakarta – Banyumas Muhammadiyah student activists initiated on Friday a movement to collect 1,000 bananas for Kuatno, a man charged with stealing bananas in Cilacap, Central Java.

Makassar – A police officer charged with beating the 17-year-old boy accused of stealing his sandals was sentenced to 21 days behind bars by a police tribunal on Thursday.

A mentally challenged youth has been charged with stealing bananas in a case that is likely to draw further criticism of Indonesia's police force, which received international coverage

Jakarta – Djubaidah had to charter a public minivan to help her carry a sack of 80 pairs of rubber sandals that she collected to the National Child Protection Commission's (KPAI) office

Rahmat – A 17-year-old boy at the center of a legal and public relations storm was found guilty on Wednesday of stealing a pair of sandals from a policeman and released into the custody