Legal Aid Services for Criminalization of Human Rights Defenders
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.19184/jseahr.v10i1.52814Abstract
Criminalization remains a serious risk for human rights defenders (HRDs) when they organize collective action to protect community rights. The 2017 Annual Report of the Surabaya Legal Aid Institute recorded several criminalization cases in East Java. These cases involved labor activists accused after discussions in a closed Facebook group, residents who signed a mining-related agreement in Banyuwangi, and farmers who planted on land without valid permits. This article examines access to legal aid for human rights defenders under Article 28D Paragraph (1) of the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia and reviews the legal protection available to them. The study uses normative legal research with qualitative analysis of primary and secondary legal materials. It finds that human rights defenders need three forms of support. First, they should strengthen legal aid organizations that meet state accreditation standards. Second, human rights advocacy networks should support law students through scholarships tied to at least five years of service in legal aid institutions. Third, these networks must build independent funding schemes to sustain free legal assistance for criminalized human rights defenders.
Keywords: Criminalization, Human Rights Defenders, Legal Aid Services.
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