{
    "success": true,
    "data": {
        "id": 1596684,
        "msgid": "delpedro-acquitted-isess-confirming-public-assumptions-law-becomes-instrument-of-criminalisation-1772968246",
        "date": "2026-03-08 14:53:11",
        "title": "Delpedro Acquitted, ISESS: Confirming Public Assumptions, Law Becomes Instrument of Criminalisation",
        "author": "Dani Prabowo",
        "source": "KOMPAS",
        "tags": "",
        "topic": "Politics",
        "summary": "An Indonesian police analyst warns that arrests without strong evidence risk turning law enforcement into a tool of criminalisation, after activist Delpedro Marhaen and colleagues were acquitted in a case linked to the August 2025 protests. The discussion includes calls for caution from a government minister and for the state to restore reputations and consider compensation for those cleared.",
        "content": "<p>JAKARTA, Kompas.com - A policing analyst from the Institute for\nSecurity and Strategic Studies (ISESS), Bambang Rukminto, criticised the\npolice for arresting activist Delpedro Marhaen and associates without\nsolid evidence. Delpedro and his colleagues were acquitted by a panel of\njudges for lack of evidence that they instigated the August 2025\nprotests. \u2018The acquittal in the Delpedro case reveals problems with\narrest standards. If authorities act too quickly in making arrests\nwithout a strong evidentiary basis, law enforcement risks turning into\ncriminalisation. This is not merely about wrongful arrests, but also\nconcerns the credibility of the police,\u2019 Bambang told Kompas.com on\nSunday (8\/3\/2026). He added that police often arrest people rapidly\nwithout first ensuring the evidence. \u2018That also confirms the public\nassumption that, in the hands of investigators, law can shift from an\ninstrument of justice to an instrument of criminalisation. It also shows\na policing culture that sometimes arrests more quickly than it confirms\nthe strength of the evidence,\u2019 he explained. Bambang emphasised that\narrests without strong evidence against activists set a dangerous\nprecedent for democracy. He reminded that authorities must not use\ncriminal law as a quick response to political pressure or protests.\nPreviously, the Coordinating Minister for Law, Human Rights,\nImmigration, and Corrections, Yusril Ihza Mahendra, urged law\nenforcement agencies to exercise caution before arresting, detaining, or\nprosecuting someone. The statement was made with reference to the\nalleged incitement case that ensnared Lokataru Foundation Director\nDelpedro Marhaen Rismansyah and other activists who were ultimately\nacquitted by the court. According to Yusril, law enforcement must be\ncarried out precisely and fairly so as not to cause losses to those who\nare ultimately found not guilty by the court. He stressed that if\nsomeone is ultimately acquitted, the state has an obligation to restore\ntheir good name and to consider compensation for the suffering endured\nduring the legal process. Furthermore, Yusril emphasised that\nrehabilitation rights for Delpedro and his colleagues have been\nfulfilled through the judges\u2019 ruling at the Jakarta Pusat District\nCourt. The panel did not only find the charges against Delpedro and his\ncolleagues not proven beyond a reasonable doubt, but also explicitly\nincluded rehabilitation in the operative part of the decision. \u2018The\npanel has stated rehabilitating their good name, abilities, and dignity.\nTherefore, the rehabilitation rights guaranteed by law have been\nfulfilled through the court\u2019s ruling,\u2019 said Yusril.<\/p>",
        "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/delpedro-acquitted-isess-confirming-public-assumptions-law-becomes-instrument-of-criminalisation-1772968246",
        "image": ""
    },
    "sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
    "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}