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Ministry’s ‘Talk Block’: When Press Freedom Meets Bureaucratic Creativity
What Actually Happened
| # | Claim | Date | Entities | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | An Instagram post by Progressive Media Lit Magdalene containing findings from an independent investigation into an acid attack on a human rights activist, including video evidence, was removed in Indonesia. | Progressive Media Lit Magdalene, Instagram, independent investigation, acid attack, human rights activist | Kompas.com (archived) | |
| 2 | The ministry responsible for the removal stated it acted on a complaint alleging the post was provocative disinformation. | ministry responsible | Kompas.com (archived) | |
| 3 | Magdalene called the removal of its post illegal. | Magdalene | Magdalene.co (joint statement with KKJ) (archived) | |
| 4 | Magdalene sought support from NGOs and the Indonesian Press Council (Dewan Pers) after the post was removed. | Magdalene, NGOs, Indonesian Press Council, Dewan Pers | Magdalene.co (joint statement with KKJ) (archived) | |
| 5 | The Committee for the Safety of Journalists stated that Magdalene should already be entitled to legal protections for press organizations. | Committee for the Safety of Journalists, Magdalene | Tempo.co (English edition) (archived) | |
| 6 | Magdalene reported that the post was reinstated on April 9, 2026. | Magdalene, Instagram post | AJI Safety Corner (Aliansi Jurnalis Independen incident log) (archived) | |
| 7 | As of the time of recording, the ministry responsible for the removal had not issued an apology. | ministry responsible | Instagram Video (Primary Source) (archived) | |
| 8 | The foreign propaganda bill is looming and could lead to more content blocks in Indonesia. | foreign propaganda bill, Indonesia | LBH Pers (Lembaga Bantuan Hukum Pers) (archived) | |
| 9 | A military court convicted the four BAIS TNI (army strategic intelligence) personnel behind the acid attack on KontraS activist Andrie Yunus — the same attack Magdalene's blocked investigation was about — sentencing them to 1.5 to 3 years and discharging two from military service. | BAIS TNI, Andrie Yunus, KontraS, acid attack, military court | BeritaSatu (archived) | |
| 10 | The four convicted soldiers appealed the same day the verdict was read, so the sentences are not yet final; military prosecutors did not appeal. | BAIS TNI, Andrie Yunus, military court | Detik (archived) | |
| 11 | Indonesia's Press Council (Dewan Pers) held a formal cross-constituent discussion on Komdigi's blocking of Magdalene's content and reasserted that it alone has authority to determine whether content counts as journalistic work. | Dewan Pers, Magdalene, ministry responsible | Dewan Pers (archived) |