Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi' Widodo is facing pressure to come out against the "criminalizing" of a Jakarta-based human rights activist, after he revealed allegations of stated officials involved in drug trafficking.
Haris Azhar, coordinator of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (KontraS), on Thursday revealed testimony provided by executed drug convict Freddy Budiman alleging members of the National Police, the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) and the Indonesian Military (TNI) were part of his operations.
The claims were made via social media and messaging apps the day before Freddy's execution in the early hours of July 29. Haris and Freddy first met in 2014 at the Nusakambangan prison island.
The allegations quickly spread across local media, prompting all three accused state institutions to file police reports on Tuesday (02/08) against Haris, alleging defamation. He faces charges under the law on electronic information and transactions.
Jokowi has instructed his subordinates to investigate the claims, but would not comment on the reports filed against Haris.
"Jokowi has no clear stance over criminalization of citizens who reveal cases that implicate the state apparatus," Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak, chairman of the youth association of Indonesia's second-largest Muslim group Muhammadiyah, said on Thursday (04/08).
Former KontraS coordinator Usman Hamid also called on the president, saying: "We urge the president to instruct the three institutions to put an end to their attempts at criminalization."
Officials from the National Police, BNN and TNI have defended the move, saying Haris did not provide any evidence of the claims. The National Police will summon Haris soon for questioning.