Responding to the acquittal of four activists accused by authorities of inciting people to commit violent acts during the August 2025 protests, Amnesty International Indonesia’s Executive Director Usman Hamid said:
“This brings new hope amid an increasingly shrinking civic space in Indonesia. The acquittal sends a clear message to law enforcement authorities that they should stop criminalizing human rights defenders and anyone who peacefully exercises their right to protest. This is a significant victory for justice and human rights in Indonesia.
“Delpedro, Muzaffar, Syahdan and dan Khariq should never have been charged in the first place simply for calling people to protest during the August 2025 protests on social media. The judges made it very clear in their verdict that the activists’ calls for people to join the protests had no causal link with the violence that erupted during the August protests in Jakarta.
“The acquittal should now trigger the release of those detained solely for opposing or criticizing government policies during the August protests. Critics must not be silenced. No one should be jailed for expressing an opinion. The relentless crackdown on demonstrations and freedom of expression in Indonesia must end. An independent investigation into the police crackdown during the August 2025 protests is the only credible path to accountability.”
Background
The Central District Jakarta court on Friday 6 February 2026 acquitted four activists – Delpedro Marhaen, Muzaffar Salim, Syahdan Husein and dan Khariq Anhar.
Earlier, prosecutors sought a two-year sentence for each of the activists. Prosecutors accused them of posting “provocative and confrontational” posts on social media that “incited” people to protest in late August 2025, alleging that these posts led to the damage of public facilities and the wounding of police officers.
The judges said that the violence that took place during the August protests had no causal link with the calls made by the activists on social media.
The activists called for people to join the protests and posted information for protesters who needed legal assistance during the protests or those whose Jakarta Smart Card had been revoked by schools after joining the protests. They also posted satirical messages related to the protests that were critical of the government. In addition, they also criticized the excessive use of force by police against protesters during the August protests, which Amnesty has documented.
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