Natalius Pigai: Human Rights Bill Will Protect Activists from Criminalisation

Human Rights Minister Natalius Pigai has explained that the planned formation of an advisory team to determine the status of human rights activists aims to protect them from criminalisation. “I am actually ensuring maximum protection for human rights defenders so that they cannot be prosecuted,” Pigai said in a press release on Thursday (30/4/2026). He stated that the revision to the Human Rights Law being prepared by his ministry will regulate the status of human rights activists. “Human Rights Minister Affirms in the New Human Rights Bill, Human Rights Defenders Cannot Be Prosecuted,” read the title of the press release issued by the Head of the General Protocol and Public Relations Bureau of the Ministry of Human Rights, Pungka M Sinaga. “If they defend the little people, the weak who want to fight for justice, then they happen to be human rights defenders, they will be designated as human rights defenders,” he said. Previously, Human Rights Minister Natalius Pigai explained that the determination of human rights activist status would be carried out by an advisory team. “The Ministry of Human Rights will appoint people, including national activist figures, professional figures, top scientists, like Mr Makarim Wibisono, who was the former Chair of the UN Human Rights Commission. People of their calibre are not subjective. They are done. The advisory team will certainly be objective with criteria,” Pigai said in an exclusive interview with ANTARA in Jakarta on Wednesday (29/4/2026). The advisory team will work objectively to determine which names deserve human rights activist status. The composition of the advisory team consists of figures with competence in human rights. According to Pigai, protection will only be given to parties who defend public interests, especially vulnerable groups, without personal or commercial interests. “If they defend those who are unjust, the little people, the weak who want to fight for justice, then they happen to be human rights activists, they will be designated as human rights activists,” he said.