Delpedro Marhaen and Others Cleared of All Charges, YLBHI: Restore the Activists' Good Name

The Indonesia Legal Aid Foundation, or YLBHI, welcomed the decision by the Panel of Judges of the Central Jakarta District Court to acquit four activists: Delpedro Marhaen, Khariq Anhar, Syahdan Hussein, and Muzzafar Salim, on Friday 6 March 2026. YLBHI Chairman Muhamad Isnur said the ruling marked an important victory for civil liberties in Indonesia. He said the acquittal proved that the charges levelled at the four activists were merely attempts to silence critical voices. ‘From the outset the Democracy Advocacy Team has been confident they were not guilty. The judge’s decision further proves that this is an agenda of criminalisation or systematic silencing of activists,’ Isnur said in a statement on Friday 6 March.

In the operative part of the decision, the panel found that the first charge by the Prosecutor under Article 28(2) UU ITE was void ab initio at the interim ruling. Meanwhile, charges two to four, which include Article 28(3) UU ITE, Article 246 of the KUHP on incitement, and Article 76H of the UU on Child Protection, were not proven beyond reasonable doubt.

Isnur expressed high appreciation for the panel, which is seen as capable of maintaining independence and examining trial facts clearly amid the high-profile nature of the case. Isnur stressed that the acquittal should be followed by the state’s responsibility to restore the activists’ good name. He urged the government to undertake rehabilitation and apologise to those subjected to criminalisation. ‘This is a small victory for civil liberties, and at the same time proof that the state must change. The state must protect freedom of expression and safeguard young people who are critical, not imprison them,’ he said.

YLBHI strongly condemned President Prabowo Subianto’s attendance at the Board of Peace (BoP) meeting held on Thursday 19 February 2026. The Fact-Finding Commission revealed the existence of organised-mob elements behind the looting of a DPR member’s house and that of Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati during the August 2025 riots. Three provocative social media accounts alleged to have escalated the August 2025 riots — Strongerboy, Adiastha8, and Armyzoned ID — are considered legally immune and have not yet been investigated by the police. The Chairman of YLBHI, M. Isnur, criticised the reintroduction of provisions criminalising insulting the President. Civil society views the throwing of Molotov cocktails at the home of influencer DJ Donny as a real threat to freedom of expression and a step backwards for democracy.