Victim of Printing House Confinement in Central Jakarta Still Traumatised
The victim of alleged imprisonment and torture at a printing company in Central Jakarta, Tegar Saputra, has admitted to experiencing severe trauma due to the physical violence he endured. This condition was revealed by Tegar during a visit from the Special Adviser to the President for Labour and Workers’ Welfare, Said Iqbal, at his residence on Wednesday (1/7). This tragic case involved a total of three victims of imprisonment: Tegar Saputra, Adit Saputra, and Rafly Jaelani.
Tegar recounted that the distressing event began when he was accused of stealing printing plate waste at his workplace on ten separate occasions. “Initially, I was accused of stealing printing plate waste. After that, I experienced violence alongside my friends and was then taken directly to a house and humiliated in front of local residents,” Tegund stated, as quoted by Antara.
The company subsequently demanded unreasonable compensation of Rp50 million from each victim, despite the value of the stolen plate waste being approximately only Rp200,000. Tegar did not deny taking the waste due to urgent circumstances. “At that time, I indeed needed money for family needs as a relative was ill,” he said.
Nevertheless, he strongly denied the company’s accusation that he had repeated the act multiple times. Due to the inability to pay the astronomical ransom demanded, a series of threats followed. “The owner’s brother, Albert, threatened that if I did not pay the Rp50 million, my hand would be broken. My friends received the same threats,” Tegar revealed.
Ironically, Tegar’s suffering highlights a grim picture of labour conditions at the company. He claimed to have worked as a freelancer for two years with a minimal wage of only Rp500,000 per month, without receiving any social security. “If I fell ill or needed medical expenses, I had to bear them myself,” he said.
The Special Adviser to the President for Labour and Workers’ Welfare, Said Iqbal, emphasised that the state will protect the rights of the victims. “I ensure that all medical costs related to this case will be the responsibility of the state. All costs will be covered by the government, including if the victims require psychiatric assistance due to the trauma experienced,” Iqbal asserted while visiting Tegar.
He also urged that the legal process proceed objectively and free from any form of intimidation, including against the victims’ legal team from LBH Kalimantan Barat. “I want to ensure that Mr Petrus and the legal team can work without pressure from any party. Let the legal process proceed as it should,” said Iqbal.
Furthermore, Iqbal strongly condemned the inhumane actions. According to him, chaining and imprisoning workers is a pure criminal act and a serious violation of human rights that has no justification. He has also moved swiftly to coordinate vertically. “I have also communicated directly to the Chief of National Police to ensure this case receives serious attention. Whoever the perpetrator is, they must be processed according to the applicable law,” he said.