Critical Activist Reported to Police, Pigai Detects Scenario to Corner the Government

Human Rights Minister (HAM) Natalius Pigai stated that academics Feri Amsari and Ubedilah Badrun do not need to be reported to the police regarding the criticisms they voiced against the government. According to him, opinions or views containing criticism of a policy constitute a human right for citizens guaranteed by the constitution, so they cannot be criminalised or imprisoned. “Opinions or public views should be responded to with data, facts, and credible information by the authoritative party,” said Pigai in a written statement on Saturday (18/4). Regarding the wave of police reports against observers in recent times, Pigai reminded that there is a kind of scenario to downgrade the government as if it is anti-criticism and anti-democracy. In fact, he said, the Prabowo-Gibran administration places human rights values and democracy as the main foundation. “Feri Amsari is also not an agriculture expert, so he does not have competence in that field. Not to mention being reported to the police, he doesn’t even need to be responded to,” said Pigai. Pigai emphasised that opinions in the form of criticism cannot be criminalised or imprisoned, unless they contain elements of incitement leading to treasonous acts, accompanied by ad hominem actions, as well as attacks on ethnicity, race, and religion. He assessed that the statements by Feri Amsari and Ubedilah Badrun remain within the corridor of general criticism of public policy. From a human rights perspective, Pigai continued, the public is the rights holder, while the government is the obligation holder to fulfil and respond to public needs. “Therefore, criticism should be viewed as a form of social control over government performance,” he said. Pigai also invited all parties to maintain a culture of literacy and a healthy public discourse space. According to him, Indonesia is currently in a phase of increasingly mature democracy, so responses to criticism should not lead to police reports. “Because I sense there is a scenario, the policing of fellow citizens to corner or downgrade the Prabowo administration as if it is anti-criticism, anti-democracy. In fact, democracy and human rights in this administration are going very well; we are becoming a prominent country and surplus in democracy,” said Pigai. Lecturer at Jakarta State University (UNJ) Ubedilah Badrun was previously reported to Polda Metro Jaya following his statement calling Prabowo Subianto and Gibran Rakabuming Raka a burden to the nation. The report was filed by Coordinator of Pemuda Garda Nusantara Rangga Kurnia Septian and registered with Number LP/B/2560/IV/2026/SPKT/POLDA METRO JAYA dated 13 April 2026. Polda Metro Jaya also received two Police Reports (LP) against Constitutional Law Expert from Andalas University Feri Amsari following his remarks related to criticism of food self-sufficiency. Head of Public Relations of Polda Metro Jaya Kombes Budi Hermanto said the report was filed by Ito Simamora from the Legal Aid Institute (LBH) Tani Nusantara. The report concerns alleged criminal violations of Article 263 and or Article 264 on false news according to Number LP/8/2692/IV/2026/SPKT/POLDA METRO JAYA. Furthermore, the report was filed by RMN, a student, regarding alleged criminal violations of Article 246 on public incitement according to LP/8/25564V/2028 /SPKT/POLDA METRO JAYA.