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).

The harassment began after Neni posted a TikTok video on 5 May 2025, warning about the dangers of political “buzzers” and their potential threat to democracy and state integrity. Although the video did not name any individual, it was interpreted by some as criticism of Governor Dedi Mulyadi, especially given Neni’s history of both criticizing and appreciating his policies.

On 16 July, Neni’s personal photo appeared in multiple social media accounts officially managed by the West Java Provincial Government, including Diskominfo Jabar, jabarprovgoid, humas_jabar, and jabarsaberhoaks. Amnesty verified a specific post from Diskominfo Jabar’s Instagram account which included a video featuring the governor’s denial of using government funds for buzzers—but also displayed Neni’s image without her knowledge or consent.

Neni reported that all of her social media accounts had since been compromised. She is currently unable to access her WhatsApp and TikTok accounts, limiting her ability to communicate and respond to messages.

According to Amnesty International Indonesia, at least 16 incidents of digital attacks targeting 17 human rights defenders have occurred in the country from January to July 2025. The organization is urging the Indonesian government to take immediate and decisive action to ensure accountability and to safeguard the democratic space for free expression. (Uki Ruknuddin)