raising the legal and political stakes in advocacy, litigation, and engagement with UN mechanisms. Indonesia’s
Response as a form of Torture When evaluated against the CAT’s four-prong criterion, Indonesia’s
response to the August 2025 protests undeniably meets the threshold for it to be considered torture. First, the severity of suffering is unmistakable. The death of 21-year-old Affan Kurniawan, at least eight other confirmed fatalities, and hundreds of reported injuries, including beatings, tear-gassing of university campuses, and the hospitalization of students, demonstrate the grave physical and psychological harm inflicted. Second, the...