Nina Loasana, Jakarta – Popular news outlet Liputan6.com filed a report of alleged intimidation, in the form of doxing, against one of its journalists, Cakrayuri "Cakra" Nuralam, to the Jakarta Police on Monday.
"We have reported the [unlawful] publication of a Liputan6.com journalist's personal information [to the police]. This report is a way to fight against intimidation toward journalists," Legal Aid Institute for the Press (LBH Pers) director Ade Wahyudin said on Monday.
Liputan6.com editor-in-chief Irna Gustiawati said she had also reported the intimidation to the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) last Tuesday.
In a meeting, the commission said doxing was a violation of human rights, especially since the attack did not only affect the victim but also his family members.
On Sept. 11, several social media accounts published Cakra's personal information on several platforms, such as Instagram and Telegram.
In a bid to discredit him, the perpetrator edited Cakra's photos and published them without his consent. Moreover, the perpetrator also edited pictures taken by Liputan6.com journalists to be used in a campaign of harassment against the news outlet and the journalist.
The intimidation was apparently inspired by a fact-check article published on Sept. 10, in which Cakra refuted claims that a member of the House of Representatives from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) is the grandson of the founder of the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) in West Sumatra.
A day later, four Instagram accounts posted Cakra's personal data, such as his social media accounts, email addresses and phone numbers.
Those accounts also posted hate speech against him, calling Cakra "the regime's journalist", "a monkey" and "a PKI supporter" among other things.
Throughout 2019, LBH Pers recorded an increasing number of incidents of violence against journalists, including cyberattacks and doxing. The institute found 79 attacks against journalists in 2019, which was eight more cases than in 2018.
Ade expressed hope that other journalists who experienced similar cyberbullying could also file a report to the police.
"Filing a report is necessary as a deterrent effect against perpetrators. Journalists work for the public interest and they are protected by the Press Law," he said.
According to the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI), three cases of doxing against journalists were reported to authorities in 2018. However, no case of journalist doxing has been solved by the police or law enforcement.