• Urgent Action

Urgent Action Update: Justice for Survivor of Sexual Harassment (Indonesia: UA 199.18)

July 22, 2019

On 5 July 2019, the Indonesian Supreme Court rejected the final case review submitted by Baiq Nuril Maknun, a survivor of sexual abuse, and upheld its decision to find her guilty of distributing pornographic content. Sentenced to six months in prison and a fine of IDR 500 million (USD 34,644), Baiq Nuril Maknun is seeking amnesty from the President as her last resort for obtaining justice. Under Indonesian law, the president can only grant an amnesty after he/she seeks consideration from the advice of the parliament. A request for such advice was formally lodged by President Joko Widodo on 15 July 2019.

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  1. Write a letter in your own words or using the sample below as a guide to one or both government officials listed. You can also email, fax, call or Tweet them.
  2. Click here to let us know the actions you took on Urgent Action 199.18. It’s important to report because we share the total number with the officials we are trying to persuade and the people we are trying to help.
Bambang Soesatyo, SE. MBA Speaker of House of Representatives General Secretariat of House of Representatives (DPR RI) Jl. Jenderal Gatot Subroto, Senayan, RT. 1/RW. 3, Gelora, Central Jakarta, Indonesia 10270 Fax: (+6221) 5715349, 571 5373 Email: [email protected] Twitter: @DPR_RI @bambangsoesatyo
Ambassador Mahendra Siregar Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia 2020 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington DC 20036 Phone: 202 775 5200 Twitter: @KBRIWashDC Facebook: @KBRIWashDC Instagram: @kbriwashdc Salutation: Dear Ambassador

Dear Chairperson, I am deeply concerned by the news that on 5 July 2019, the Indonesian Supreme Court rejected the final case review submitted by Baiq Nuril Maknun and upheld its cassation decision to find her guilty of distributing pornographic content. While Baiq Nuril Maknun lodged a formal report complaint to the police about the sexual abuse she suffered in mid-November 2018, no police investigation has been launched. In fact, instead of receiving the justice she deserves, she was convicted of distributing pornographic content and sentenced to six months in prison and a fine of IDR 500 million under Article 27 of the Electronic Information and Transaction Law. I acknowledge that the Minister of Law and Human Rights, Yasonna Laoly, has pledged to support Baiq Nuril Maknun in seeking an amnesty and will provide the supporting legal arguments for the President’s consideration. Minister Yasonna has boldly said that, supporting Baiq Nuril Maknun’s case would hopefully encourage other victims to report their own experiences. I understand that President Joko Widodo sent an official letter on 15 July 2019 to the House of Representatives seeking parliamentary advice on an amnesty for Baiq Nuril Maknun. Therefore, I urge you to support the proposal and advise that all charges against Baiq Nuril Maknun are dropped and that any allegations of sexual abuse are immediately and independently investigated. Kind regards, ADDITIONAL RESOURCES