Demonstrators clash with police personnel during a postelection protest in front of the Elections Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) office in Central Jakarta on May 22, 2019. (Suwandy / Shutterstock.com)

This article was originally published in The Jakarta Post's print edition on June 26, 2019, with the title "Indonesian police accused of torture in May riots".

Marguerite Afra Sapiie 

The Jakarta Post

Jakarta / Wed, June 26, 2019

The National Police are facing increased pressure as investigations by human rights organizations found alleged use of torture by Mobile Brigade (Brimob) officers during the recent postelection protests that escalated into riots in Central and West Jakarta. 

According to rights group Amnesty International, at least 12 people suffered torture and illtreatment by Brimob personnel during crackdowns on suspected rioters on May 21-23. 

In its report released on Tuesday, Amnesty said the alleged use of violence occurred in areas near the Elections Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) building, the center of the protests, including in Kampung Bali, where reports of police brutality had previously emerged. 

The group declined to reveal the alleged victims’ identities out of concern of their safety as well as of their families. 

“The public has the right to know about what happened on May 21-23,” said Amnesty International Indonesia executive director Usman Hamid. 

In its findings, which are the result of a month-long verification process and interviews with witnesses, victims and their families, Amnesty claimed some Brimob personnel had tortured at least five people at an empty parking lot in Kampung Bali. 

The incident reportedly took place at around 5:30 a.m. on May 23 after a sweep of the area. 

Amnesty said that one victim — who was unarmed — was beaten and dragged by around 10 Brimob officers, video footage of which was captured by a witness in a nearby building and uploaded onto social media. 

Meanwhile, among the four other victims who were beaten in the same parking lot, one was so badly injured, he had to be taken to the Kramat Jati Police Hospital’s emergency unit in East Jakarta and was placed under “strict monitoring by the police”, the rights group said. 

“This was clearly a crime because the officers used excessive force,” Usman said. 

Thousands of supporters of losing presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto took to the streets to protest incumbent President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s reelection victory late last month. 

What started as a peaceful rally turned into full-fledged riots that triggered clashes between rioters and security forces, leaving nine dead and injuring hundreds. 

After the video of an unarmed man being beaten by Brimob personnel went viral, the police admitted that the footage was real and the incident had taken place. 

They confirmed that the man in the video was Andri Bibir, a rioter who had been arrested.

A victim identified as Markus, who was reportedly arrested on May 23 at the parking lot in Kampung Bali, received treatment at the Kramat Jati Police Hospital. 

His girlfriend, in a recent interview with The Jakarta Post, said that she had not been permitted to visit Markus ever since he was admitted to the emergency room due to his injuries. 

At least seven other people suffered from ill-treatment by Brimob officers in separate areas near Bawaslu, as proven by a trove of videos sent by witnesses, said Amnesty researcher Papang Hidayat. 

In one of the videos , the metadata and authenticity of which have been verified by Amnesty’s digital verification team in Berlin and London, three Brimob officers could be seen kicking a man wearing a vest with an Indonesian flag on the right side of his chest near a bus station on Jl. Agus Salim, Central Jakarta. 

“We understand that the police have the authority to arrest those who allegedly committed violence,” Papang said. “However, we deplore the officers who have committed torture […], which is a serious crime.” 

Papang also called for an independent investigation involving oversight bodies, such as the Indonesian Ombudsman, that did not include the police. 

The National Commission of Human Rights (Komnas HAM) conducted a separate inquiry into the incidents and its preliminary conclusion on the incident in Kampung Bali found that Brimob officers had indeed committed a human rights violation. 

“We have asked the police to address the issue,” said Komnas HAM commissioner Choirul Anam. 

Responding to the allegations of brutality, National Police spokesperson Brig. Gen. Dedi Prasetyo urged the rights groups to submit their evidence to a police investigation team. 

“The team will check the evidence and announce its [conclusion],” he said.