Vanishing Freedom of Expression
Cases of the suppression of freedom of expression are set to become widespread in 2026. The new Criminal Code will serve as a weapon to silence critical voices.
Febriyan
January 5, 2026
THE criminalization of Indigenous communities surged in 2025. One such case was the conviction of 11 members of the Maba Sangaji Indigenous community at the Soasio District Court in North Maluku on October 16, 2025. They were sentenced to between two and five months in prison simply for holding a customary ritual as a form of protest against the presence of a nickel mine in their village.
The panel of judges ruled that the demonstration by
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