Mandiri freezing of protester’s account raises alarm over civic freedom
Bank Mandiri’s freezing of a protest coordinator’s account has drawn strong criticism from civil society groups, which have warned the move restricts civic freedoms and could erode public trust in the state-owned lender.
Mandiri's decision to freeze the bank account of a protest coordinator has sparked concern over civil liberties, according to civil society groups. The account belonged to Supriyono, the leader of the United Pati Community Alliance (AMPB), who had organized protesters to demand the seizure of assets from corruption convicts and the death penalty for those same individuals.
The account held around Rp 80.9 million (US$4,900) in personal funds and donations for protesters' basic needs. Mandiri later apologized, citing a request from law enforcement, but did not disclose the agency or the case details. Civil society groups, including CELIOS, YLBHI, and Amnesty International Indonesia, warned that the freeze could contravene Article 140 of the Criminal Law Procedures Code, which mandates court approval for account freezes as coercive measures.
They argued that the timing of the freeze raised doubts about the use of banking powers to hinder citizens' right to protest. The groups urged Mandiri to reinstate access to the account if there was no legal basis or court authorization and called for an investigation by the Financial Services Authority (OJK).
Written by urgent.news from The Jakarta Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
