Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia's National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) has urged the Jakarta Metropolitan Police to immediately release protesters who were detained following recent demonstrations that turned violent.

"We are urging the Jakarta Metropolitan Police to immediately release the detained protesters and inform their families," Komnas HAM Chairperson Anis Hidayah said in a statement on Monday.

She explained that the commission conducted an inspection of the Jakarta Metropolitan Police regarding their security measures for the protests. The Komnas HAM team, led directly by Hidayah, met with officials from the Directorate of General Criminal Investigation.

During the meeting, the commission obtained information that police had arrested and detained 1,683 people who took part in protests on August 25, 28, 30, and 31, 2025.

"However, the Jakarta Metropolitan Police stated that the data was still dynamic," she added.

The Komnas HAM delegation also met with people who were still seeking clarity on the whereabouts of their family members detained since Friday (August 29).

Komnas HAM further called on police to be more professional, accountable, and transparent in their operations, and to differentiate between protesters and looters.

"Provide access to legal aid for every person who has been arrested and detained," Hidayah urged.

The protests escalated across several Indonesian regions, especially Jakarta, following the death of online motorcycle taxi driver Affan Kurniawan, who was run over by a police vehicle during a demonstration near the Parliament Complex in Jakarta on Thursday (August 28).

Several public facilities in Jakarta, including bus stations, were damaged, while the homes of several officials were looted.

Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung announced that total losses from infrastructure damage in the capital due to last week’s demonstrations reached Rp55 billion (approximately US$3.3 million).



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Translator: Fath Putra, Raka Adji
Editor: M Razi Rahman
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