Dera Pramandira and Fathul Munif released amidst ongoing police investigation
On 10 December 2025, environmental human rights defenders, Adetya ‘Dera’ Pramadira and Fathul Munif, were released from police custody in Semarang but remain under criminal investigation for ‘incitement’ and ‘hate speech.’
Adetya Pramandira (Dera) is a woman and environmental human rights defender. She is vocal advocate for humanity, committed to creating safe spaces, promoting justice, and eliminating all forms of oppression. The defender is actively part of the Forum for the Environment (WALHI) Central Java, works with Bersemai Sekebun, and supports young women in Semarang through the Barapuan women’s community.
On 10 December 2025, environmental human rights defenders, Adetya ‘Dera’ Pramadira and Fathul Munif, were released from police custody in Semarang but remain under criminal investigation for ‘incitement’ and ‘hate speech.’
Adetya Pramandira (Dera) is a woman and environmental human rights defender. She is vocal advocate for humanity, committed to creating safe spaces, promoting justice, and eliminating all forms of oppression. The defender is actively part of the Forum for the Environment (WALHI) Central Java, works with Bersemai Sekebun, and supports young women in Semarang through the Barapuan women’s community. Fathul Munif (Munif) is an environmental human rights defender, and literacy advocate. He is actively involved in community initiatives such as Aksi Kamisan Semarang, Maring Institut, Bersemai Sekebun, and Lauk Buku.
The human rights defenders were released from police custody on 10 December 2025, after the Chief of the Semarang Metropolitan Police (Polrestabes Semarang) approved the suspension of their detention. This was approved on the condition that the defenders would not flee and would remain in the country to face the ongoing police investigation. Their release follows after 200 individuals belonging to civil society organisations wrote to the police, expressing their willingness to act as guarantors for the two human rights defenders. Additionally, an application had been submitted by their lawyers on 8 December 2025 to suspend their detention.
On 27 November 2025, the human rights defenders were ambushed by 24 police officers, arbitrarily arrested and subsequently detained on suspicion of ‘incitement’ under the Indonesian Criminal Procedure Code and ‘hate speech’ under the Electronic Information and Transactions (ITE) law. Their arrest and detention came just days after the newly revised Criminal Procedure Code (KUHAP) came into effect, which has been criticised by the United Nations Special Procedures for expanding police powers and weakening safeguards against arbitrary detention.
The human rights defenders are accused of inciting demonstrations across Indonesia in August 2025, in which thousands of Indonesians took to the streets to peacefully protest government policies. Protestors called for higher minimum wages, stronger job security, fair labour and tax reforms, and the passage of key laws to protect workers’ rights and democratic participation. Authorities in Indonesia responded by using unlawful force, leaving a trail of at least 10 civilian deaths and over 400 severe injuries.
Furthermore, authorities arbitrarily detained thousands of protestors, including human rights defenders, and issued a wave of criminal charges under vague and overly broad provisions such as “incitement” under Article 160 of the Criminal Code, the ITE Law, and the Child Protection Law. Many of those now facing criminal prosecution were arrested without warrant, denied access to legal counsel and subjected to intimidation during their detention. These acts have been previously reported by Front Line Defenders and FORUM– ASIA, as demonstrative of a systematic pattern of silencing dissent, shrinking civic space, and criminalising peaceful and legitimate human rights work in Indonesia.
Front Line Defenders welcomes the release of Dera Pramadira and Fathul Munif, but remains concerned about the ongoing criminal investigation on suspicion of overly vague charges, ‘incitement’ and ‘hate speech.’ Front Line Defenders believes the human rights defenders are being targeted as a result of their legitimate human rights work and peaceful exercise of the right to freedom of expression and assembly.
Front Line Defenders calls on the authorities in Indonesia to:
- Immediately cease the criminal investigation of Adeyta ‘Dera’ Pramadira and Fathul Munif;
- Guarantee in all circumstances that all human rights defenders in Indonesia are able to freely exercise the right to freedom of expression and assembly, and legitimate human rights work, without fear of reprisals and free of all restrictions, including criminalisation and judicial harassment.
