Batam activist Yusril Koto appears before the Batam District Court on Tuesday. He was sentenced to six months in prison and fined Rp 15 million (US$901.87) for defaming a Satpol PP officer in TikTok videos. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
BATAM, Indonesia: The Batam District Court has sentenced local social activist Yusril Koto to six months in prison for defamation after he publicly criticised a member of the city’s Public Order Agency (Satpol PP), underscoring growing concerns over the criminalisation of activism in Indonesia.
In addition to the prison sentence, Yusril was ordered to pay a Rp 15 million (US$901.87) fine, with a substitute penalty of one additional month in jail if he fails to pay.
The sentence was lighter than the prosecution’s demand of one year in prison and a Rp 25 million fine. During the verdict hearing on Tuesday (Sept 30), presiding judge Vabiannes Stuart Wattimena stated that Yusril was found guilty of defaming Satpol PP officer Budi Elvin through his online posts.
“The court acknowledges that the defendant has been cooperative and has shown remorse, which was taken into account as a mitigating factor,” Judge Wattimena said. Speaking to the press after the verdict, Yusril said he would not appeal the sentence.
“Even in a cage, a tiger remains a tiger, not a house cat. This experience has been a lesson for me to grow and improve. I will continue to speak out against government policy abuses in Batam that harm the public interest, until the end of my life," he said.
Yusril, 61, is a well-known social activist in Batam, recognised for his outspoken criticism of various local issues through social media. He frequently raised concerns about marine pollution, beach reclamation and deforestation of protected forest areas.
He was arrested by the Batam Police on April 28 following a defamation complaint filed by Budi of the Batam Satpol PP. The complaint stemmed from several TikTok videos Yusril posted, in which he accused Budi of protecting street vendors operating in unauthorised areas. Yusril also claimed that Budi had threatened him after he reported the illegal vendors to the authorities.
The Batam Police charged Yusril with four separate offences under the Criminal Code and ITE law, which carry a maximum sentence of 12 years in prison.
Human rights group Amnesty International Indonesia has documented what it calls a “massive” wave of attacks on human rights defenders in the first half of 2025, warning of deteriorating civic space and the government’s persistent failure to protect those who speak out.
In a report released in July, the rights watchdog recorded 54 separate incidents affecting 104 individuals between January and June. These attacks came in the form of police reports, arrests, criminalisation, intimidation and even physical violence.
Indigenous communities and journalists made up the largest share of victims, with 36 and 31 individuals targeted, respectively. Others included university students, academics and activists involved in labour rights, anti-corruption and environmental campaigns.
The crackdown has continued into the second half of the year. Earlier this month, police named four prominent activists criminal suspects for allegedly inciting public unrest during a series of anti-government protests between late August and early September.
They were accused of persuading people to join demonstrations that escalated into riots. The activists are Lokataru Foundation director Delpedro Marhaen, staff member Muzzafar Salim, Gejayan Memanggil online activist Syahdan Husein and Riau University student Khariq Anhar.
They face charges under Article 160 of the Criminal Code (KUHP) on provocation, as well as several provisions of the 2014 Child Protection Law.
The arrests have continued in recent days. Last week, the Yogyakarta police arrested Perdana Arie Veriasa, a student from Yogyakarta State University (UNY), and over the weekend, the East Java police arrested Muhammad Fakhrurrozi, an activist based in Yogyakarta, on similar charges.
Rights groups and democracy advocates have condemned the arrests as unlawful and said they set a dangerous precedent that undermines freedom of protest and assembly. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
