Democracy Defender Targeted: Amnesty Condemns Online Assaults on Human Rights Activist

JAKARTA, RAKYAT NEWS – Amnesty International Indonesia has called on Indonesian authorities to thoroughly investigate the digital attacks launched against democracy activist Neni Nur Hayati, following her criticism of West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi on social media.

“This is a direct assault on civil liberties and further confirms the serious regression in Indonesia’s climate of free expression,” said Usman Hamid, Executive Director of Amnesty International Indonesia.

“Legitimate criticism being met with coordinated attacks is a blatant violation of the right to freedom of expression and opinion. These attacks must stop immediately.”

Hamid emphasized that law enforcement must act proactively to investigate the digital onslaught.

“Failing to pursue justice only strengthens the perception that perpetrators of such attacks enjoy impunity. If expression continues to be silenced, Indonesia risks sliding back into an era of authoritarianism that it should have left far behind,” he warned.

He also reminded the state of its responsibility to protect, not suppress, the voices of its citizens. “The state should never be complicit—directly or indirectly—in silencing legitimate dissent,” he added.

Referencing Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), Hamid noted that the right to freedom of expression protects all forms of information and ideas—even those considered offensive or disturbing—regardless of their truthfulness.

Neni Nur Hayati, who leads the Democracy and Election Empowerment Partnership (DEEP) Indonesia, informed Amnesty that she had been subjected to relentless digital harassment for three consecutive days, from 15 to 17 July 2025. The attacks included doxing, hate speech, and hacking attempts targeting her Instagram account (@neni1783) and TikTok account (@neninurhayati36).