Rahmat Fajar Nugraha, Jakarta – Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) has revealed that one of its researchers was doxed after commenting on former President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's nomination for the most corrupt figure of 2024 by the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP).
With regard to this matter, ICW Coordinator Agus Sunaryanto stressed that this represented an attempt to censor people's views.
"The inclusion of Joko Widodo's name in the nomination of leaders under the category of organised and corruption crimes in 2024 by the OCCRP had as its aftermath the doxing of one of ICW's researchers by the Instagram account @volt_anonym", said Sunaryanto in a statement on Friday January 3.
The doxing, said Sunaryanto, took the form of disclosing personal data ranging from their telephone number, population identification card number (KTP), residential addresses, the telephone device specifications they use, to the coordinates of the researcher's last location in the form of a google maps link.
"In the upload on Instagram, @volt_anonym wrote a caption smacking of threats with strong insinuations that endanger the safety of the researcher themselves", Sunaryanto said.
"The doxing was disseminated on January 3, 2025 after the ICW researcher conveyed their views related to Joko Widodo's nomination by the OCCRP [that has been reported] by a number of mass media since January 1, 2025", he explained.
Sunaryanto explained that in addition to violating the provisions on the protection of personal data as stipulated under Article 65 Paragraphs 1 and 2 and Article 67 Paragraphs 1 and 2 of Law Number 27/2022 on the Personal Data Protection, this also endangers the safety of doxing victims.
"The doxing should be seen as part of the efforts to silence and restrict critical public voices. Moreover, this incident is also not the first time this has been experienced by those who convey criticisms of the state", he explained.
Similar cases, he continued, have also been experienced by a number of journalists, activists and citizens who have spoken out critically.
Moreover it is reasonable to suspect that this pattern of doxing involved those who have access to or are responsible for protecting citizen's personal data.
"Instead of attacking those who expressed an opinion on the nomination, the inclusion of Jokowi's name in the top list of corrupt leaders should be an increasingly urgent alarm about improving efforts to eradicate corruption in Indonesia", he said.
It cannot be denied that there was a setback in the eradication of corruption and democracy under Widodo's leadership.
This can be seen from the stunting of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) in various ways, the Indonesian Corruption Perception Index (IPK) that has dropped back to the score it was 10 years ago, the decline in the anti-corruption legal order and the strengthening of political dynasties.
"The doxing against those who criticise Jokowi should be seen as reinforcement that Jokowi deserves to be included in the nomination initiated by the OCCRP. This kind of doxing would not happen and be repeated in a country with a healthy climate of democracy", he explained.
ICW, said Sunaryanto, is worried that doxing or digital attacks due to Widodo's nomination buy the OCCRP has not just been experienced by ICW.
"But also groups that speak out critically. Therefore, we urge law enforcement officials to be proactive in investigating the real account owner who has carried out the act of intimidation posted on the account against the ICW researcher", he said.
As reported earlier, in the list of the OCCRP nominations, besides Widodo, there is the names of Kenya President William Ruto, Nigeria President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Indian business tycoon Gautam Adani.
The list of finalists was arrived at after the OCCRP requested nominations from readers, journalists, jurists and other parties in the organisation's global network.
The OCCRP, which based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, has been collecting nominations through Google Form since Friday November 22, 2024.
Out of these nominations, former Syrian President Bashar Al Assad received the title of Person of the Year 2024 in the category of organisational crime and corruption.
Widodo has also spoken out in response to the OCCRP nomination of his name as the most corrupt leader asking the group to prove that he actually committed a criminal act of corruption.
"What was corrupted. Yes, what has been proven", Widodo said laughing at his home in Banjarsari district, Solo city, Central Java, on Tuesday December 31.
Despite this, he revealed that there has been a lot of framing that has harmed him without clear evidence.
"Yes what, what else? Right now there's a lot of slander, a lot of evil framing. Lots of accusations without any evidence. That's what's happening now", said Widodo.
Touching on the possibility of there being a political content, Widodo said this should be asked directly to those who are members of the OCCRP. The former Jakarta governor stressed that at the moment anyone could use any kind of vehicle to slander him.
"Yes, just ask, just ask. People can use any vehicle. They can use NGOs [non-government organisations], they can use [political] parties, they can use ormas [mass or social organisations] to accuse, to make evil framing, to make evil accusations like that", said Widodo.
Meanwhile, former KPK Chairperson Abraham Samad is asking the new KPK leadership, which is currently captained by Setyo Budiyanto et al, to move quickly to respond to Widodo's nomination by the OCCRP.
Samad hopes that the KPK can summon and question Widodo and his family. Because if not, then the public's assumption about the new KPK leadership being made up of Widodo's people will indeed be seen as true.
"The KPK should respond quickly, because if the KPK is silent and does not act, then the public could consider the new KPK commissioners to be Jokowi's people as has been circulating", Samad told Tribunnews on Wednesday January 1.
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Peneliti ICW Kena Doxing Imbas Komentari Laporan OCCRP Soal Jokowi, Sebut Upaya Pembungkaman".]
