September 8, 2025 | 10:42 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesia's National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) states that the ad-hoc team investigating alleged severe human rights violations in the case of the murder of activist Munir Said Thalib has thus far examined 18 witnesses. This pro-justice investigation is being carried out in accordance with the mandate of Law Number 26 of 2000 concerning Human Rights Courts.
"To date, 18 witnesses have been examined," said Komnas HAM Chairman Anis Hidayah in a press release on Sunday, September 7, 2025. However, Komnas HAM is still facing several challenges in the process of bringing the witnesses to provide testimony.
In addition to witness examinations, the investigative team has also gathered documents from various institutions, reviewed examination reports, and compiled the progress of the investigation into a report. "Tracing other relevant documentary evidence related to the murder of Munir Said Thalib and the attack on Human Rights Defender (HRD)."
Komnas HAM asserts that the investigation is still ongoing. Anis stated that the follow-up includes plans to trace additional documents, further examination of witnesses based on clustering, and coordination with the Attorney General's investigators.
Komnas HAM formed an ad-hoc team to investigate the Munir case through the Decree of the Chair of Komnas HAM Number 11 of 2023, which was extended through Decree Number 17 of 2025. The institution stated that the investigation report will be finalized after all stages are completed.
Today marks the exact 21 years since human rights activist Munir Said Thalib was murdered by poisoning on a flight to Amsterdam on September 7, 2004. Munir died after drinking orange juice containing arsenic on Garuda Indonesia flight GA-974.
At the time, Munir was en route to continue his studies at Utrecht University, the Netherlands. The flight took off from Jakarta on the evening of September 6, 2004, transited in Singapore, and then continued the journey. During the subsequent flight, eyewitnesses said Munir appeared to be in pain after drinking the orange juice around 08:10 local time. A passenger doctor attempted to provide assistance, but Munir was declared dead while the plane was above Romania.
Two months later, the Dutch police confirmed that Munir's death was caused by arsenic poisoning. Autopsy results showed high levels of arsenic in his body, including in his blood, heart, and urine.
In his lifetime, Munir, the founder of KontraS, was known as a staunch advocate for oppressed groups, including laborers, students, and victims of human rights violations. As an activist with the Legal Aid Institute (LBH), he was actively involved in demanding justice, especially during the New Order era.
The legal process initially implicated Pollycarpus Budihari Priyanto, a Garuda Indonesia pilot, who was believed to have administered arsenic to Munir's body even though he was on leave at the time. Pollycarpus was sentenced to 20 years in prison, later reduced to 14 years, before being conditionally released in 2014 and fully released in 2018.
Former Garuda CEO, Indra Setiawan, was also suspected of involvement by providing a travel letter to Pollycarpus. However, to this day, the main mastermind behind Munir's murder has never been revealed. This case remains one of the darkest human rights violations in Indonesian history and is considered a serious test for the country in law enforcement and human rights.
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