JakartaPost-Apr 22, 2026
Indonesia’s human rights climate deteriorated sharply in 2025, with state actors driving a widening crackdown on dissent that shows no sign of easing this year, rights group Amnesty International has warned. In its annual report released on Tuesday, Amnesty said authoritarian practices increased in the country throughout President Prabowo Subianto’s first year in power, marked by excessive use of force and growing restrictions on freedom of expression. “The civil society’s freedom of expression and criticism of the state are being restricted by the government,” Amnesty International Indonesia executive director Usman Hamid said during the report’s launch in Central Jakarta. The group also recorded widespread repression during and after public demonstrations, where protesters, students and journalists were subjected to arbitrary arrest and police violence amid rising public anger over living costs and perceived policy mismatches that took place nationwide between August and September 2025. Nearly 300 government critics faced intimidation or violence in 2025, Amnesty said, with 29 similar cases already recorded this year. Additionally, 58 people were reported to police over their social media posts last year. Ahead of Independence Day in August, authorities also cracked down on the use of pirate flags inspired by the anime One Piece as a symbol of protest, with a senior minister condemning the displays as disrespectful to the national flag and government officials threatening legal action against participants. Another case took place in February 2025, when punk band Sukatani removed a song criticizing police corruption from streaming platforms after what it described as intimidation and pressure from authorities. Usman further pointed to the role of political rhetoric in shaping this environment, particularly repeated statements by President Prabowo, which he said have tacitly enabled clampdowns on freedom of expression. “From the outset of his presidency, Prabowo’s stance has tended to be hostile toward human rights, democracy and press freedom […] These are the very areas he frequently frames as being driven by foreign interests.”
