Ervana Trikarinaputri, Jakarta – The Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence (KontraS) has revealed that there were 45 extrajudicial killings by state apparatus in the past year. This data was collected by KontraS monitoring between December 2023 and November 2024.
Andi Muhammad Rezaldy, deputy coordinator of KontraS, said that the majority of extrajudicial killings were carried out by the police. "Looking at the actors, the highest number of extrajudicial killings violations were committed by the police institution with a total of 34 incidents, and the TNI institution with 11 incidents," Andi said during the presentation of KontraS's Human Rights Day 2024 report in Cikini, Menteng, Central Jakarta, on Friday, December 6, 2024.
According to KontraS's report, these extrajudicial killings took three forms: torture, shooting of criminal suspects, and shooting of civilians, resulting in 47 deaths. "There were 29 victims of extrajudicial killings by firearms, and 18 victims of torture," Andi explained.
Based on the backgrounds of the victims, Andi explained that 27 victims were criminal suspects. According to KontraS, killing criminal suspects before a fair trial deprives them of their right to a fair trial or due law process. Meanwhile, the suspects' right to defend themselves is also lost.
The other 20 victims were non-criminal suspects. "Non-criminal incidents that had nothing to do with any criminal activity," he said. According to Andi, the authorities tend to justify or find excuses for taking lives. For example, in the cases of the extrajudicial killings of three minors, namely Mikael Histon Sitanggang in Deli Serdang, Afif Maulana in Padang, and Gamma Rizkynata Oktafandy in Semarang.
Mikael was allegedly involved in a brawl before being killed by a military or TNI member. However, KontraS emphasized that even if Mikael was involved in the brawl, it should be noted that the TNI had no authority to "handle" the brawl, let alone result in death. The same pattern, according to KontraS records, occurred in the cases of Afif and Gamma.
Afif was reportedly involved in a brawl before his body was found under the Kuranji Bridge. Meanwhile, Gamma was shot by a police officer who claimed he was trying to separate the fighters, although some nearby residents said there was no fight at the scene. KontraS described the three victims as "mischievous children" or delinquents who were shot at will by the authorities until they died.