Civil Society Coalition for Security Sector Reform

Stop the Criminalization of Ferry Irwandi and Investigate the Intimidation Against Imparsial Executive Director

Jakarta, 9 September 2025 – The Civil Society Coalition for Security Sector Reform condemns the intimidation and threatened criminalization by the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) against social media activist and CEO of Malaka Project, Ferry Irwandi. The Coalition also condemns the acts of intimidation against human rights defender and Executive Director of Imparsial, Ardi Manto, including the vandalism of his vehicle, theft of documents, and hacking/cyberattacks carried out by unidentified individuals. In the Coalition’s view, what Ferry and Ardi have experienced constitutes a serious threat to freedom of expression and to human rights defenders in Indonesia, where civic space for those who are critical of the government and those in power is becoming increasingly restricted.

We believe that the decision by senior TNI officials to visit the Metro Jaya Regional Police Headquarters on Monday (8 September) to consult on filing a report against Ferry Irwandi constitutes an act of intimidation and an attempt at criminalization. The presence of the Commander of the Military Police Center, the Head of the Information Center, and the Commander of the Cyber Unit creates the impression that the military institution is attempting to use state power to suppress the civil liberties of citizens through the law enforcement process.

Ironically, the allegations against Ferry have not been explained in detail by the TNI, other than referring to remarks he previously made regarding internet algorithms. Ferry himself has stated that he does not know what alleged criminal offense he is being accused of committing. Subsequently, on Tuesday (9 September), the Metro Jaya Regional Police informed the media that Ferry would be reported to the police on charges of defamation. Earlier, during a television talk show on 2 September, Ferry stated that identifying those responsible for the riots that occurred in several cities at the end of August would be relatively easy if the authorities seriously utilized data analytics technology and digital traces on social media.

Moreover, the TNI’s plan to criminalize Ferry contradicts Constitutional Court Decision No. 105/PUU-XXII/2024 issued on 29 April, which excludes government institutions, public agencies, and corporations from being parties entitled to file complaints under the defamation provisions. This means that if such a report proceeds, it would constitute an act of constitutional disobedience by the TNI as an institution.

The TNI’s threat of criminalization against Ferry risks blurring the distinction between military duties and civilian affairs. The primary duty of the TNI is to defend the nation against external threats, not to target citizens who express criticism or analysis in the public sphere. Although Law No. 3 of 2025 concerning Amendments to the TNI Law allows for TNI involvement in cyberspace, Article 7 paragraph (2) point 15 specifies that the TNI’s role is to assist in addressing cyber defense threats. Accordingly, the TNI’s cyber role is limited to supporting the competent civilian authorities in matters of cyber defense within the framework of national defense and wartime situations. In this context, the involvement of the Commander of the TNI Cyber Unit in matters concerning Ferry Irwandi may itself be inconsistent with the TNI Law. The TNI’s role in cyber defense was never intended to extend to domestic political affairs, much less to monitoring its own citizens. Military involvement in internal domestic affairs, including surveillance of citizens, represents a clear blurring of the boundary between internal governance and national defense, thereby posing a threat to democracy.

The Coalition believes that the attempt to criminalize Ferry Irwandi and others only reinforces concerns that there are efforts to conceal the facts surrounding recent events and obstruct fair and impartial law enforcement. The Commander of the TNI should take decisive action by conducting an open, accountable, and transparent internal investigation into the alleged involvement of the TNI Strategic Intelligence Agency (BAIS) in the riots that occurred several weeks ago. If there is evidence of criminal conduct, the TNI should pursue legal proceedings in accordance with the criminal justice process and bring those suspected of involvement before the courts so that the public may know the truth of what occurred. The TNI must act patriotically by supporting a thorough investigation into the riots, including the possibility that TNI personnel may have been involved.

In addition to what Ferry has experienced, the Coalition has also received reports regarding the vandalism of the vehicle belonging to human rights defender and Executive Director of Imparsial, Ardi Manto, the theft of documents, and hacking/cyberattacks against him. The Coalition believes these acts constitute intimidation directed at Ardi because of his human rights advocacy. This is particularly concerning given Ardi’s longstanding efforts to speak out against injustice and abuses of power committed by the state, including his criticism of the revision to the TNI Law, which opens the door for the military to reassert its influence over civilian sectors and his opposition to the return of the military’s dual function (dwifungsi). These alleged acts of intimidation must be investigated thoroughly, transparently, and independently.

Therefore, the Coalition demands:

1. That the Indonesian National Police, particularly the Metro Jaya Regional Police, refrain from acting upon the request made by senior TNI officials to criminalize Ferry Irwandi, who merely exercised his right to express his opinions peacefully.
2. That the relevant authorities within the central government—including the Commander of the TNI, the Minister of Defense, and Commission I of the House of Representatives (DPR)—reprimand, evaluate, and correct the actions of senior TNI officers who visited the Metro Jaya Regional Police in connection with the planned criminalization of Ferry Irwandi.
3. That the Metro Jaya Regional Police immediately conduct a thorough investigation into the vandalism of the vehicle belonging to Imparsial Executive Director Ardi Manto, as it constitutes an act of intimidation against a citizen.
4. That the Police immediately release all human rights defenders who have been arrested and detained under incitement provisions and the Electronic Information and Transactions (ITE) Law in relation to demonstrations that took place in several cities across Indonesia at the end of last August.
5. That the Government, the House of Representatives (DPR), and the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) conduct a thorough investigation into the alleged involvement of the TNI in the recent riots.

Jakarta, 9 September 2025

Signed,

Civil Society Coalition for Security Sector Reform

Contact Persons:

1. Ikhsan Yosarie (SETARA Institute)
2. Usman Hamid (Amnesty International Indonesia)
3. Julius Ibrani (PBHI)
4. Muhammad Isnur (YLBHI)
5. Dimas Bagus Arya (KontraS)
6. Hussein Ahmad (Imparsial)
7. Al-Araf (Centra Initiative)
8. Oslan Purba (Yayasan Tifa)

Civil Society Coalition for Security Sector Reform:

SETARA Institute, Imparsial, YLBHI, KontraS, PBHI Nasional, Amnesty International Indonesia, ELSAM, Human Rights Working Group (HRWG), WALHI, Centra Initiative, Jakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH Jakarta), Press Legal Aid Institute (LBH Pers), Community Legal Aid Institute (LBH Masyarakat), Surabaya Legal Aid Institute (LBH) Pos Malang, Papua Democracy Alliance (ALDP), Public Virtue, Institute for Criminal Justice Reform (ICJR), Jakarta Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI Jakarta), Association of Defenders of Indigenous Peoples of the Archipelago (PPMAN), Dejure, and Yayasan Tifa.