Nabiila Azzahra, Jakarta – Indonesia's Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence (KontraS) has accused police of using excessive force during the August 25 demonstrations, which ended in riots near the House of Representatives (DPR) complex in Jakarta.
The group said officers not only assaulted protesters but also targeted bystanders who were uninvolved.
Yahya Ihyaroza, head of KontraS' legal division, said one victim was an e-commerce courier who was beaten and detained despite not joining the protest. "He was just standing there when police ambushed him, mistaking him for a demonstrator. His hands were beaten, and he tried to defend himself," Yahya said.
Tempo's observation at the Jakarta Metro Police Criminal Investigation Department on Tuesday, August 26, confirmed that several detainees bore injuries, including bruised eyes, facial scratches, and one case requiring an arm cast.
Another account came from Putri (not her real name), whose husband, an online motorcycle taxi driver, was also mistakenly arrested. She learned of his detention at 3 a.m. and rushed to the Jakarta Metro Police Headquarters, only to see him hours later. "His face was injured, and his hands were scraped because he fell when police dragged him off his motorcycle. He told me he was beaten before being arrested," she said tearfully.
A 21-year-old man, who asked not to be named, said he too was attacked after being arrested near a bus stop while recording the protest. He showed a swollen arm and claimed that he was struck with an iron baton inside a police truck.
The Jakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH) also reported seeing multiple injured detainees at police headquarters. "Our legal advisors witnessed arrested demonstrators with bruises and wounds," the organization stated.
Journalists were not spared. Bayu Pratama, a photojournalist for state news agency Antara, said he was repeatedly hit with a baton despite wearing a press ID and carrying two cameras. "I tried to block the blows with my hand, but my camera was damaged, and I was scratched on my left hand," Bayu said.
The Independent Journalist Alliance (AJI) and the Press Legal Aid Institute (LBH Pers) condemned the violence, calling it part of a disturbing trend. AJI Jakarta chairman Irsyan Hasyim noted that more than 20 incidents of police violence against journalists were recorded between June 2024 and June 2025.
Civil society group Lokataru Foundation also denounced the police response, saying hundreds were arrested brutally.
"The police's duty should be to protect citizens, not to criminalize those exercising their right to free expression," said Lokataru spokesperson Fauzan Alaydrus.
– Sultan Abdurrahman contributed to the writing of this article.