The Indonesia Legal Aid Foundation, or YLBHI, welcomed the decision\nby the Panel of Judges of the Central Jakarta District Court to acquit\nfour activists: Delpedro Marhaen, Khariq Anhar, Syahdan Hussein, and\nMuzzafar Salim, on Friday 6 March 2026. YLBHI Chairman Muhamad Isnur\nsaid the ruling marked an important victory for civil liberties in\nIndonesia. He said the acquittal proved that the charges levelled at the\nfour activists were merely attempts to silence critical voices. \u2018From\nthe outset the Democracy Advocacy Team has been confident they were not\nguilty. The judge\u2019s decision further proves that this is an agenda of\ncriminalisation or systematic silencing of activists,\u2019 Isnur said in a\nstatement on Friday 6 March.<\/p>\n
In the operative part of the decision, the panel found that the first\ncharge by the Prosecutor under Article 28(2) UU ITE was void ab initio\nat the interim ruling. Meanwhile, charges two to four, which include\nArticle 28(3) UU ITE, Article 246 of the KUHP on incitement, and Article\n76H of the UU on Child Protection, were not proven beyond reasonable\ndoubt.<\/p>\n
Isnur expressed high appreciation for the panel, which is seen as\ncapable of maintaining independence and examining trial facts clearly\namid the high-profile nature of the case. Isnur stressed that the\nacquittal should be followed by the state\u2019s responsibility to restore\nthe activists\u2019 good name. He urged the government to undertake\nrehabilitation and apologise to those subjected to criminalisation.\n\u2018This is a small victory for civil liberties, and at the same time proof\nthat the state must change. The state must protect freedom of expression\nand safeguard young people who are critical, not imprison them,\u2019 he\nsaid.<\/p>\n
YLBHI strongly condemned President Prabowo Subianto\u2019s attendance at\nthe Board of Peace (BoP) meeting held on Thursday 19 February 2026. The\nFact-Finding Commission revealed the existence of organised-mob elements\nbehind the looting of a DPR member\u2019s house and that of Finance Minister\nSri Mulyani Indrawati during the August 2025 riots. Three provocative\nsocial media accounts alleged to have escalated the August 2025 riots \u2014\nStrongerboy, Adiastha8, and Armyzoned ID \u2014 are considered legally immune\nand have not yet been investigated by the police. The Chairman of YLBHI,\nM. Isnur, criticised the reintroduction of provisions criminalising\ninsulting the President. Civil society views the throwing of Molotov\ncocktails at the home of influencer DJ Donny as a real threat to freedom\nof expression and a step backwards for democracy.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/delpedro-marhaen-and-others-cleared-of-all-charges-ylbhi-restore-the-activists-good-name-1772805682", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }