August 30 Action Case, One Bali Activist Named Suspect

Illustration of a crime perpetrator being arrested (VOI)

DENPASAR - The Criminal Investigation Unit of the National Police has named one more suspect related to the protest on August 30 in Denpasar, Bali.

Head of Public Relations of the Bali Police, Police Commissioner General Ariasandy, said that in addition to one person who had been named a suspect, the police had also repatriated three other people who had been taken to Jakarta.

"One suspect was taken to the Criminal Investigation Unit regarding the anarchist demo last August," said Aryasandi, quoted by Antara, Monday, December 22.

He said the other three who had been repatriated and their status was only as witnesses in the same case.

"For the other three, after being examined as witnesses, they were sent back to Bali," he said.

Ariasandy did not explain in detail the role and chronology of the arrest of the activists.

Meanwhile, Head of Advocacy of LBH Bali Ignatius Rhadite said that four Bali activists, namely TW, MH, DR, MR were arrested on Friday (19/12/2025).

In the arrest, only TW was detained based on confirmation from LBH Bali with TW's family.

From the family's statement, TW was named a suspect on December 18, 2025, one day before TW was arrested.

Rhadite felt strange with the process of arrest and determination of suspects who violated the law. TW was named a suspect without being examined as a witness.

"It is strange to refer to the Constitutional Court (MK) decision that the determination of a suspect must have a prospective examination of the suspect must be examined as a witness, while the TW was never called at all, suddenly arrested and the determination of the suspect first existed," he said.

According to Rhadite's statement, the article that TW was suspected of having was layered, he was considered a provocateur in violation of Article 160 of the Criminal Code, which is about incitement, Article 28 paragraph 2 and 3 of the ITE Law on the Dissemination of False News, Article 76 of Law Number 35/2014 concerning Child Protection, because it is considered to invite children to demonstrate.

Not only that, TW is suspected of Article 212 to Article 214 because he was considered not to heed the appeal of the authorities.

"How many layers of articles are suspected. The Bali Police are looking for a scapegoat for the August 30th action," he said.

Radhite explained that after TW was taken to the Criminal Investigation Unit of the National Police, Jakarta, the LBH Bali team communicated with LBH Jakarta. Then LBH Jakarta came to the National Police Headquarters Criminal Investigation Unit at the Directorate of Dittipidum.

However, LBH Jakarta was prevented from entering by the police on the grounds that the family had appointed a lawyer so that there was no need for LBH Jakarta.

In fact, LBH Bali has communicated with TW's mother. The Jakarta LBH also called the suspect's mother in front of the police. The suspect's mother confirmed that there was no appointment of a lawyer.

"He was called in front of the police by LBH Jakarta with a loudspeaker, the family has handed over the process to LBH Jakarta so there has been no appointment of a lawyer. There is nothing like the police claimed that there has been an appointment of a lawyer," said the Central Java-based lawyer.

Not stopping there, the police still did not allow LBH Jakarta to meet the suspect, with the excuse that TW was being examined for health so he could not be visited.

The police promised that there would be an examination on Monday (22/12/2025) with the assistance of LBH Jakarta.

"It's a chronological series. At the time of arrest, no letter was delivered. The determination of the suspect first, compared to the examination process, does not comply with the law, there is a violation of legal aid because there is lying of all kinds," he said.

Rhadite said that it seemed that there was an ongoing hunt for activists in Bali. There is a potential for additional arrests.

Regarding the continuation, according to him, TW should be investigated in Bali because he saw that the determination of the suspect from the suspect's letter was directed to the Bali Prosecutor's Office.

The LBH Bali team itself has so far been studying the examination process. The case report is a police report (type A report) as a reporter on September 20.

"The examination of witnesses in this report is type A who reported this case was reported on September 20 on LP type A, the police report which became the reporter was the police itself," he said.