Minister Pigai on Feri Amsari Being Reported to Police: Criticism is Constitutionally Guaranteed
Human Rights Minister Natalius Pigai has emphasised the criticism voiced by academic and constitutional law expert Feri Amsari.
He made this statement in response to an action by LBH Tani Nusantara, which reported Feri to Polda Metro Jaya over his remarks regarding food self-sufficiency.
“Feri Amsari is unaware that he is a constitutional law observer. A constitutional law observer criticises agriculture. But for me, his criticism is guaranteed by the constitution,” said Pigai in a post on his Instagram social media account on Saturday (18/4).
Previously, Ito Simamora from LBH Tani Nusantara reported Feri to Polda Metro Jaya. The report was immediately received under number LP/8/2692/IV/2026/SPKT/POLDA METRO JAYA. The report concerned alleged criminal violations under Article 263 and/or Article 264 regarding false news.
Additionally, the report was filed by RMN, a student, concerning alleged criminal violations under Article 246 on incitement in public, according to LP/8/25564V/2028/SPKT/POLDA METRO JAYA.
In recent times, there has been a surge in observers and academics being reported to the police regarding their openly expressed opinions and views.
Besides Feri Amsari, who was also reported for his opinions or criticism of the Prabowo Subianto-Gibran Rakabuming Raka government’s policies, others include Saiful Mujani, an academic from UIN Jakarta and founder of the SMRC survey institution; Ishlah Bahrawi, an NU activist monitoring terrorism offences and former expert staff at National Police Headquarters; and Ubedilah Badrun, a former 1998 activist and academic from UNJ.
According to Pigai, Feri Amsari to Ubedilah do not need to be reported to the police for the criticism they voiced against the government. Pigai stated that 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 authorities,” said Pigai in a written statement on Saturday.
Regarding the wave of police reports against observers in recent times, Pigai recalled a kind of scenario to undermine or downgrade the Prabowo-Gibran government by making it seem anti-criticism and anti-democracy.
In fact, said he, the Prabowo-Gibran government places human rights values and democracy as the main foundation.
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 attacks, as well as assaults 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, continued Pigai, society 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 called on all parties to maintain a culture of literacy and a healthy public discourse space.
In his view, 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, this policing of fellow citizens to corner or downgrade the Prabowo government as if it is anti-criticism, anti-democracy. In fact, democracy and human rights in this government are doing very well; we are becoming a prominent country and surplus in democracy,” said Pigai.