The Jakarta Police has named the director of human rights group Lokataru, Delpedro Marhaen (DMR), as a suspect and arrested him on allegations of incitement and spreading false information linked to recent unrest in the capital.

Jakarta Police spokesman, Senior Commissioner Ade Ary Syam Indradi, confirmed the arrest, saying investigators accused DMR of provoking students, including minors, to join anarchic demonstrations.

“Polda Metro Jaya investigators have arrested DMR on suspicion of making provocative calls to commit anarchic acts involving students, including children under 18 years old,” Ade Ary told reporters on Tuesday, September 2, 2025.

DMR is suspected of committing several offenses, including incitement under Article 160 of the Criminal Code, disseminating false information under Article 45A(3) in conjunction with Article 28(3) of the 2024 Electronic Information and Transactions Law, and violating provisions of the 2014 Child Protection Law.

“The investigation has been ongoing since August 25, 2025 when incidents occurred around the parliament complex in Central Jakarta and other areas. Evidence and witness statements have been collected, and after DMR was officially designated as a suspect, investigators proceeded with the arrest,” Ade Ary said.

Police said further inquiries are underway as investigators continue to gather evidence surrounding the alleged offenses.

Executive Director of Amnesty International Indonesia, Usman Hamid, regretted the arrests of Delpedro Marhaen in Jakarta, Khariq Anhar in Banten, Syahdan Husein in Bali, and two legal aid workers from YLBHI in Manado and Samarinda.

“Most recently, we have also seen signs of mobilizing civilian paramilitary groups (Pam Swakarsa), which risks fueling horizontal conflict in society,” Usman said.

“All of this shows that the state has chosen authoritarian and repressive methods rather than democratic and persuasive approaches. Charges are being laid using catch-all articles that have long been notorious for silencing criticism. This must stop. Release them,” he added.

He said further that the state must optimize democratic policing methods, persuasion, and dialogue with demonstrators, as recommended by the UN Human Rights Office, citing that threats of punishment only escalate tensions between police and critics and stressing that people have the right to assemble and express their opinions in public.

Sources from Amnesty International Indonesia reported that Delpedro was forcibly taken by eight Jakarta police officers at his home, which also serves as Lokataru’s office, in East Jakarta on Monday night, September 1, 2025 at 10:45 p.m. Police also searched the Lokataru office without a warrant and allegedly damaged CCTV cameras.

In addition to forcibly taking Delpedro, police prevented him from using his phone to contact anyone, including his lawyer and family.