Human Rights Minister: Amien Rais's Statement Violates Human Rights
Human Rights Minister (HAM) Natalius Pigai assesses that Amien Rais’s statement regarding the relationship between President Prabowo Subianto and Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya does not fall under the category of freedom of opinion. Natalius accuses the statement by Amien as an act of human rights violation. “Degrading the dignity of Prabowo and Teddy,” he said in an official statement on Sunday, 3 May 2026.
According to him, Amien’s statement is inhumane. Amien is accused of carrying out a verbal act that intentionally causes mental attacks. Natalius also accuses Amien of verbal harassment to degrade, humiliate, intimidate, or emotionally and psychologically hurt someone. Natalius asks Amien not to hide behind freedom of speech. “Because there are limits to freedom of speech,” he said.
Communications and Digital Minister Meutya Hafid previously stated that the video of Amien Rais’s statement dragging in the names of President Prabowo and Cabinet Secretary Teddy contains defamatory narratives and hate speech.
“The narrative built is an attempt to degrade the dignity of the country’s highest leader, lacks factual basis, and is part of an effort to provoke public unrest,” said Meutya Hafid in a written statement on Friday, 1 May 2026.
For Meutya, Amien Rais’s accusations have the potential to divide. She emphasised that the digital space is a space for exchanging ideas, not for producing hate content that attacks anyone’s human dignity.
The Shura Council of Amien Rais’s Ummah Party states that his statement in the video should be viewed as a form of citizens’ freedom of opinion.
“I believe democracy runs well if the freedom to express opinions guaranteed by our Basic Law is not restricted or silenced,” said Amien during the National Deliberation of the Ummah Party in Yogyakarta on Saturday night, 2 May 2026.
Amien views Indonesia as a democratic country, which should guarantee freedom of opinion even if that opinion contradicts the authorities or other groups.
Regarding his accusation about the relationship between Prabowo and Teddy, which he said exceeds professional boundaries, Amien claims to have his own reasons.
“As for Teddy, I gathered from various information, from YouTube and various social media channels. I think it’s almost convincing that there is something very unusual about Mr Teddy,” he said.
That unusual something, according to Amien, is because Teddy is given excessive power by Prabowo. Therefore, said Amien, to avoid becoming a bad stigma in society, Prabowo should give Teddy a busyness or position elsewhere. By not always sticking to Prabowo, Amien continued, Teddy will not interfere with his government.