10 September 2021

The Observatory has been informed by the Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence (KontraS) about the harassment against Fatia Maulidiyanti, current Coordinator of KontraS and a member of OMCT General Assembly, and Haris Azhar, Executive Director of Lokataru.

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The Observatory condemns the harassment of Haris Azhar and Fatia Maulidiyanti which seem to be only aimed at punishing them for their legitimate human rights activities and for exercising their right to freedom of expression.

The Observatory expresses its concern over an Indonesian authority’s threat to use the country’s criminal defamation laws to target human rights defenders for the legitimate exercise of their right to freedom of opinion and expression.

The Observatory calls on the authorities in Indonesia to put an end to any acts of harassment - including at the judicial level - against Haris Azhar, Fatia Maulidiyanti, and all other human rights defenders in the country, to ensure that they are able to carry out their legitimate human rights activities without any hindrance or fear of reprisal.

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