There Were 43 Cases of Violence Against Journalists in 2021: Here's a Breakdown

According to a report by the Indonesian Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI), 43 cases of violence against journalists were recorded between January 1 and December 25, 2021. This represents a 48.8% decrease compared to the 88 cases reported in the previous year.

The most prevalent type of violence in 2021 was terror and intimidation, with 9 cases. This was followed by physical violence (7 cases), and restrictions on coverage and threats (7 cases).

Furthermore, there were 5 cases of digital attacks, 4 cases of legal prosecution, 3 cases of content removal, and 1 case of detention.

Perpetrators of Violence Against Journalists

In terms of perpetrators, the AJI report indicates that the police were responsible for the most cases of violence against journalists, with 12 incidents. Ten cases were attributed to unknown individuals.

Other perpetrators included government officials (8 cases), professionals (4 cases), and civilians (4 cases). There was one case each involving perpetrators from companies, bureaucrats, prosecutors, the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI), and mass organizations (ormas).

Geographically, the highest number of cases occurred in North Sumatra (5 cases), followed by Jakarta (4 cases).

Violence against journalists was also reported in Lampung, Central Sulawesi, Southeast Sulawesi, West Sulawesi, and East Java, with 3 cases each in these regions.

Over the past five years, there has been a downward trend in violence against journalists. However, the number of cases spiked in 2020, reaching 84.

(See also: 562 Journalists Worldwide Killed in the Last 10 Years)