Employee Suing Pigai Responds to Human Rights Ministry's Appeal

An employee of the Ministry of Human Rights (HAM), Ernie Nurheyanti M. Toelle, has responded to the appeal planned by Minister Natalius Pigai. Yanti acknowledged that an appeal is the right of any party in a dispute. However, she cautioned that it should genuinely be pursued in the search for justice, not for other reasons. “Filing an appeal is the right of every party. I hope what is being sought is truly justice, not merely a delay of reality,” Yanti told CNNIndonesia.com via written message on Tuesday (7/7) evening. The appeal plan was previously conveyed by Deputy Minister of Human Rights, Mugiyanto. Pigai has not provided any statement since the Jakarta State Administrative Court (PTUN) ruled in favour of Yanti regarding her job transfer within the Ministry of Human Rights. “We will appeal. We will definitely appeal. Yes, we will appeal. His response is we will appeal,” Mugiyanto said at his office in South Jakarta on Tuesday (7/7). Mugiyanto said the lawsuit should not have happened. He expressed regret over the step taken by Yanti. “We regret the step taken by Ibu Yanti because this is not a dismissal, this is just a transfer of position, a mutation, and in our opinion, what Ibu Yanti did was not appropriate,” he said. Previously, the Jakarta PTUN panel of judges granted Yanti’s lawsuit in its entirety. The lawsuit concerned the transfer of Ernie from her previous position as Secretary of the Directorate General of Human Rights Services and Compliance (an echelon IIA position) to a Senior Human Rights Analyst role, based on Minister of Human Rights Decree Number: MHA-14 KP.04.04 dated 23 January 2026. The verdict was delivered on Thursday, 2 July 2026. The Jakarta PTUN panel of judges declared the Minister of Human Rights Decree Number: MHA-14 KP.04.04 dated 23 January 2026, which transferred Ernie from a managerial position to a functional position, null and void. The judge obliged Pigai, as Minister of Human Rights, to revoke the decree. In addition, Pigai was required to rehabilitate Yanti’s dignity, honour, and position to her original role as Secretary of the Directorate General of Human Rights Services and Compliance. “The Defendant is sentenced to pay the court costs incurred in this case amounting to Rp383,000,” read the ruling listed on the Supreme Court’s e-court system.