September 29, 2025 | 04:06 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) has exposed the recurrence of violent practices carried out by law enforcement officers during the handling of legal processes related to riots from late August to early September.
According to Julian Duwi Prasetia, Director of the Legal Aid Institute (LBH) Yogyakarta, police frequently tortured demonstrators during the investigation process. "During the interrogation, many demonstrators were subjected to violence by the authorities and forced to confess their involvement in anarchist demonstrations," Julian said at a press conference on Monday, September 29, 2025.
Julian noted that most demonstrators were compelled to admit to being part of anarchistic groups and participating in actions that led to the riots.
Arif Maulana, Deputy Chair of Advocacy and Network for YLBHI, revealed that the majority of victims of police violence were children. "In Magelang, for example, 26 child demonstrators who were arrested experienced torture," Arif stated. He asserted that the children who were tortured were actually not involved in anarchistic acts at all.
"Some children confessed that they were whipped using a hose, slapped, kicked, and punched in the chest. Yet, they were not involved," Arif detailed.
Furthermore, YLBHI alleges the police obscured the whereabouts of demonstrators during the initial examination. Authorities only allowed families and legal representatives access to the detainees after the questioning was completed.
The allegations follow a government announcement on the total number of suspects. Coordinating Minister for Legal, Human Rights, Immigration, and Law, Yusril Ihza Mahendra, revealed that the number of people designated as suspects following the demonstrations has almost reached a thousand individuals.
"The number now reaches 997 suspects," Yusril said on Friday, September 26, 2025.
Yusril explained that the majority of the suspects, 971 people, were charged and detained for general criminal offenses under the Criminal Code or Emergency Law Number 12 of 1951. Meanwhile, 26 other individuals were designated as suspects in cybercrime cases, accused of violating Articles 28 and 31 of the Electronic Information and Transactions Law (UU ITE), which includes charges related to incitement.
This figure is close to the earlier count provided by the Chief of the Criminal Investigation Department of the Indonesian National Police, Commissioner General Syahardiantono. Syahardiantono revealed on Wednesday, September 24, 2025, that the total was 959 suspects, consisting of 664 adults and 295 children.
These hundreds of cases are being handled by several Regional Police offices, including 232 suspects at the Jakarta Metropolitan Police, 111 at the West Java Regional Police, 136 at the Central Java Regional Police, and 58 at the South Sulawesi Regional Police.
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