Ervana Trikarinaputri, Jakarta – The Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence (KontraS) recorded 62 cases of torture with a total of 128 victims from December 2023 to November 2024, spread across Indonesia. This data was collected through the Human Rights Monitoring conducted by KontraS over the past year.

KontraS Deputy Coordinator Andi Muhammad Rezaldy explained that the 62 cases of torture resulted in 109 injuries and 19 deaths. "The victims come from various backgrounds. 35 victims are criminal suspects and 93 others are ordinary civilians," Andi said during the presentation of the KontraS Human Rights Day 2024 record in the Cikini area, Menteng, Central Jakarta, on Friday, December 6, 2024.

Based on KontraS records, state authorities from three different institutions are suspected to be the perpetrators of torture. "With the highest number of perpetrators from the police institution with a total of 38 incidents," Andi said.

This was followed by the military authorities with 15 incidents. Prison guards were also implicated in 9 cases of torture.

Andi explained that the motives for these acts of torture vary. "Thirty-two cases of torture were used to extract confessions, and 30 cases were used as a form of punishment," he said.

Torture to extract confessions is considered a violation of the Code of Criminal Procedure, which prohibits authorities from forcing confessions and statements during investigations or interrogations. Meanwhile, torture as a form of punishment shows an oppressive culture in law enforcement, according to KontraS.

KontraS noted that 32 torture victims were released without rehabilitation. This is although Indonesia has an Anti-Torture Cooperation Team (KuPP) made up of several state institutions, including the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM), the National Commission on Violence against Women (Komnas Perempuan), the Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI), the Ombudsman, the Witness and Victim Protection Agency (LPSK), and the National Commission on Disability, "The state should provide rehabilitation for torture victims," Andi said.

Meanwhile, in 22 cases of torture, the perpetrators were released without any sanctions. According to KontraS, this indicates a culture of impunity or tolerance of torture by the authorities.

Andi stated that the state should punish the perpetrators. "Not only those who target low-level actors but also high-level actors who should also be held accountable and processed through legal enforcement mechanisms," he said.

He said that this situation perpetuates further incidents of torture. We have not seen any clear punishment of the institutions responsible for the torture incidents," Andi said.

Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/1949716/kontras-notes-128-people-tortured-by-authorities-in-the-past-yea