JAKARTA, RAKYAT NEWS – Amnesty International’s latest annual report, The State of Human Rights in the World 2024/2025, warns of a deepening global shift toward authoritarianism, with Indonesia among the countries showing worrying trends. The report outlines how governments around the world are increasingly restricting civil liberties, undermining democratic institutions, and silencing dissenting voices.

According to Amnesty, 2024 saw a widespread erosion of human rights protections across all regions. The organization documented extensive abuses, including limits on freedom of expression, the expansion of surveillance technologies, and targeted discrimination against minority communities. Conflict zones such as Israel, Myanmar, Sudan, Ethiopia, and Yemen were highlighted for committing war crimes and practicing systemic racism.

Indonesia was singled out for a steep decline in democratic norms. The report noted a growing use of authoritarian tactics, including electoral manipulation, curbs on press freedom, and sustained human rights violations in Papua. “Without urgent action, we risk a human rights epidemic,” said Usman Hamid, Executive Director of Amnesty International Indonesia, at the report’s launch in Jakarta.

Amnesty raised serious concerns about the state’s use of excessive force and extrajudicial killings, especially in Papua. Between January and December 2024, at least 39 such killings were recorded nationwide. Of these, 17 occurred in Papua, with both state and non-state actors implicated. Security forces, particularly police and military units, were frequently involved, often with impunity.

Controversy surrounding Indonesia’s 2024 general elections also drew attention. The report criticized constitutional court decisions that altered candidacy rules—changes that ultimately benefited President Joko Widodo’s son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka. Critics, including the UN Human Rights Committee, labeled the rulings as a blow to electoral fairness and judicial independence.