Police Reform Commission: A Number Of Suspects For The August Demonstration Have Been Released

JAKARTA - Chairman of the National Police Reform Acceleration Commission Jimly Asshiddiqie said the National Police had released a number of suspects for the August 2025 demonstration who were arrested from various regions in Indonesia.

"It's already there, something has been reduced. There are some areas," Jimly told Antara, Wednesday, December 10 night.

Jimly explained that the police were conducting an evaluation regarding the arrest of thousands of August demonstrators and that a number of suspects who had gone up to the court stage could not be released.

"Only they are still evaluating, if they have entered the court, they can't anymore," he said.

According to Jimly, of the 1,038 people arrested by the police and going up to the court stage, they should have been released even though the demonstrators made a mistake.

"This does not need to go to prison. Even if he is wrong, then in the district court he has been released, but brought again by the prosecutor to the high court until the attorney general's court," he said.

At the court stage, said Jimly, judges are obliged to consider a guilty verdict against thousands of August demonstrators by seeing if there is anyone's malicious intent in their actions.

"So, for cases that have entered, [it should be] not just looking for mistakes. But looking for mens-rea, the intention of a crime. So, the prison is only meant for bad people, not the wrong person," he said.

In addition, Jimly hopes that the judge who tried the demonstrators in August will not repeat the decision that requires the President to issue his privilege, reflecting on the release of the defendant in the alleged corruption case of PT ASDP Ferry Indonesian Ira Puspadewi, Saturday, August 28.

"Hopefully the judge will not repeat the decisions that require the president to intervene to provide clemency, amnesty, abolition, and rehabilitation," he said.

Previously (4/12), the Police Reform Acceleration Team asked the National Police Chief General Pol. Listyo Sigit Prabowo to review the prosecution of thousands of demonstrators in the demonstration at the end of August 2025.

The Police Reform team also recommended that the police consider easing law enforcement on thousands of August demonstrators who were arrested.