Legal Aid Services for Criminalization of Human Rights Defenders

Authors

  • Mohammad Syaiful Aris Faculty of Law, Universitas Airlangga, Indonesia
  • Abd Wachid Habibullah Faculty of Law University Airlangga
  • Muwaffiq Jufri Faculty of Law, Universitas Trunojoyo Madura, Indonesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.19184/jseahr.v10i1.52814

Keywords:

Criminalization, Human Rights Defenders, Legal Aid Services.

Abstract

Criminalization is a risk of human rights defenders, when they fight for rights collectively in building their society. Based on Annual Report by Surabaya Legal Aid Institute 2017[1], there are several cases for the criminalization in East Java. Firstly, labor human rights defenders.  A number of worker activists create Facebook Group that is closed to members only. Facebook group is used as a means of communication, consolidation, coordination and discussion among the members of labor organizations. Unfortunately, eight people were reported to police because it is considered to discuss or make a statement which defamatory. Secondly, related to land dispute, farmer activists doing planting around the location of company as symbol protesting against their deprived ancestral lands, 42 citizens and 2 students were arrested by Police and then 11 people were appointed as suspects charged on the prohibition of land use without the authorized license. Thirdly, Mining operation, criminalization cases of residents and activists who reject mining operation has socio-ecological impacts and life-saving effects to the society. The social impacts caused conflict between the community, the company and the state apparatus in the form of repression to society. Protecting human rights defenders or activists from criminalization by providing legal aid services should be consider as the program for government and non-government organization. The legal aid is not only solely based on charity but also must be associated with the political rights of the citizens. The government has an obligation to provide the services. Legal aid is clearly linked to human rights because the fulfillment of human rights is one of the mandates of the Indonesian constitution. Article 28D Paragraph (1) guarantees that every person, including the human rights defender, has the right access to justice in order that their rights to the recognition, guarantee, protection and legal certainty of justice and equal treatment before the law can be realized.

 

 

[1] Annual Report By Surabaya Legal Aid Institute 2017 http://bantuanhukumsby.or.id/2017/12/22/catahu-2017-lbh-surabaya/

 

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Published

2026-06-30

Issue

Vol. 10 No. 1 (2026): June 2026

Section

Articles

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Copyright (c) 2026 Abd Wachid Habibullah, Mohammad Syaiful Aris, Paul Atagamen Aidonojie, Muwaffiq Jufri, Adesoji Kolawole Adebayo

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