TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A report by the Fact-Finding Commission (KPF) stated that the arrest of activists following the August 2025 protests in Indonesia was the biggest manhunt post-reformation. This commission is responsible for gathering and verifying facts related to last year's massive demonstrations on behalf of civil society.
"This is the biggest manhunt for activists since the reformation," said the Coordinator of the Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence (KontraS), Dimas Bagus Arya, in a discussion at the Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) office in Kalibata, South Jakarta, on Wednesday, February 18, 2026.
Coordinating Minister for Legal Affairs, Human Rights, Immigration, and Corrections, Yusril Ihza Mahendra, previously conveyed that a total of 6,712 people across Indonesia were arrested due to the August protests. Among them, 5,858 were later released. "Even 2,573 individuals are minors based on the KPAI (Indonesian Child Protection Commission) data," said Dimas.
As of February 14, 2026, the Youth Movement Against Criminalization (GMLK) recorded 703 political detainees undergoing legal proceedings. Furthermore, 506 people have been convicted. Meanwhile, 348 individuals were charged under Article 170 of the Criminal Code regarding public assault.
"We classify the use of the article as extreme or highly intensive under Article 170, which falls into the high category. Meanwhile, medium and low categories relate to the Child Protection Law, Emergency Law, as well as 2 cases of treason and 13 activists accused as provocateurs," said Dimas from KontraS. "Meanwhile, 31 people still cannot confirm their criminal status."
GMLK's records as of February 14, 2026, also indicate the five provinces with the highest number of political detainees. The province with the highest number is East Java with 191 political detainees, followed by 163 in Jakarta, 113 in Central Java, 72 in West Java, and 54 in South Sulawesi.
In compiling this report, the commission conducted independent investigations into 115 police examination files, thousands of open-source data, and 63 informants. Additionally, event traces were traced in eight provinces, 18 cities, and three locations abroad from September 2025 to February 2026.
Chair of the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI), Muhammad Isnur, stated that this report addresses the four primary directives issued to the KPF. "To find the causes of the demonstrations and the escalation of violence, map the actions and responses of the parties, identify patterns and triggering factors, and examine the accountability for the events that occurred," said Isnur.
Isnur also claimed that the data obtained by the KPF can be easily verified. All documents, he said, refer to primary documents. He emphasized that this report can only be refuted with open and transparent evidence. "We are as open and transparent as possible. If there are any objections, please be open and transparent just like we do," said Isnur.
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