Journalists in Tuban face alleged police intimidation over mining report

Two journalists in Tuban, Indonesia, reportedly faced intimidation and death threats from a police officer following their coverage of an illegal mining case. The victims, identified as Abdul Rohman of Suara Merdeka and Irqam of Suara Indonesia, were allegedly targeted via WhatsApp status updates by an officer identified as RK.

The threatening messages included photos of the journalists, with one photo from a joint futsal event between the police and press being marked with a cross. The posts reportedly included text translating to “die or be made half dead.”

The intimidation follows news regarding a legal case involving a defendant named Cancoko, who was sentenced to 10 months in prison and fined 100 million IDR for illegal mining activities. The case is currently under appeal.

In response, members of the Indonesian Journalists Association (PWI) Tuban and Ronggolawe Pers Solidarity (RPS) held a peaceful protest and audience at the Tuban Police Station. They demanded a thorough investigation into the officer's conduct and called for guaranteed security for journalists performing their professional duties.