Indonesia - April 2025

Indonesia’s Constitutional Court ruled three parts of the 1946 criminal code criminalizing the dissemination of fake news and defamation unconstitutional on 17 April. Human rights and press freedom advocates hailed the decision as a small but significant victory for freedom of expression, as these parts of the criminal code had historically been used to punish fair criticism of government officials. Defamation remains criminalized in Indonesia under numerous statutes, and the United Nations and Human Rights Watch have criticized other elements of the country’s codes and statutes which similarly limit freedom of expression and the press. However, advocates say the ruling provides a strong precedent which will allow other petitioners to challenge the constitutionality of other statutes.

Sources: Aliansi Jurnalis Independen, Reuters, Human Rights Watch

On 14 and 15 April, the Attorney General’s Office arrested four judges who recently acquitted three palm oil companies of corruptly obtaining export licenses. The arrests were related to charges that those judges allegedly accepted IDR 60 billion (USD 3.6 million) from the companies’ lawyers in exchange for their decision. Corruption in the judiciary has proved durable in Indonesia despite some efforts to counteract it, with one watchdog cataloguing 29 cases with bribes totalling IDR 108 billion (USD 6.5 million). The arrests come in the wake of attempts by both former President Joko Widodo and President Prabowo Subianto to curb judicial corruption by increasing judges’ salaries, but experts say stronger oversight of judicial conduct and an increased focus on ethics in recruitment may be needed to stamp out judicial corruption. The Supreme Court has promised to remove the judges if they are found guilty and to consider stronger oversight mechanisms.

Sources: Jakarta Post, Reuters