New York/Amsterdam, June 22, 2026—Ahead of the second anniversary of a deadly arson attack on Indonesian journalist Rico Sempurna Pasaribu and his family, a new investigation by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Free Press Unlimited (FPU) has uncovered major flaws in the murder case that highlight the Southeast Asian nation’s poor record of ending impunity for crimes against journalists.
The joint report, “Impunity in Indonesia: The leads left unfollowed in journalist Rico Sempurna Pasaribu’s murder,” reveals authorities’ numerous investigative failures, raising questions whether full justice was achieved with the conviction of three men for the arson in March 2025.
Pasaribu, a journalist with news site Tribrata TV, was killed with his wife, son, and grandson inside their home in Kabanjahe, North Sumatra, on June 27, 2024. Before the arson attack, the 47-year-old received threats and demands he take down a series of stories he wrote about an illegal gambling operation allegedly run by Corporal Herman Bukit, a soldier with the Army’s 125th battalion stationed in the town.
CPJ and FPU call on Indonesian police to reopen the investigation of the case, with a focus on the alleged involvement of Bukit.
“The brutal murder of journalist Rico Sempurna Pasaribu and his family is a heinous crime,” said Beh Lih Yi, Asia-Pacific director at the Committee to Protect Journalists. “It adds to long-standing concerns about journalists’ safety, and that Indonesia’s military justice system is failing to deliver accountability. Indonesian authorities must now reopen the investigation into Pasaribu’s murder and try any military personnel involved in a civilian court. Impunity for crimes against journalists has no place in a democracy like Indonesia.”
“Two years ago, Rico Sempurna Pasaribu and his family were burned alive, and yet we are still waiting for all the answers,” said Jules Swinkels, senior researcher at Free Press Unlimited. “Indonesia’s military justice system ensures that any possible involvement of military personnel is not independently investigated. We urge the Indonesian authorities to move the case to a civilian court, where public transparency and accountability are more attainable than within the closed mechanism of the military justice system.”
Drawing on court documents, military investigation files, and witness testimonies — as well as interviews with individuals close to the case — the report found substantial evidence that Bukit should be thoroughly investigated and face justice accordingly for his alleged role in Pasaribu’s murder.
The report reveals substantial evidence linking Bukit to the illegal gambling business at the center of the case, to meetings with the main perpetrator of the arson Bebas Ginting, and to pressure Pasaribu faced for his reporting. Yet police never questioned the soldier as a person of interest.
A military investigation that cleared Bukit of alleged involvement in the murders was excessively narrow in scope, full of inconsistencies, and lacked transparency, the report shows. Military investigators ignored witness testimony and were not transparent in their assessment of evidence, including a phone call recording in which Ginting told Pasaribu’s daughter he “got an order” from Bukit.
The report also shows that authorities neglected clear indications that Pasaribu was targeted for his coverage of illegal gambling. In the days leading up to his killing, Pasaribu received threats and demands from Bukit and Ginting that he take down his stories, which he reported to friends, colleagues, and a high-ranking police officer. Yet none of those tasked with administering justice in the case ever seriously investigated them. Investigators also failed to take into account all available evidence, including the forensic examination of cellphone communications and analysis of financial flows between all persons of interest in the case.
The North Sumatra Regional Police and the Military Regional Command I/Bukit Barisan did not respond to questions about the report’s findings.
Since 1992, 14 journalists have been killed in Indonesia, and eight of the nine cases in which journalists have been murdered in direct reprisal for their work remain unsolved. Impunity has become entrenched worldwide, with four out of five killers of journalists getting away with murder. If anyone is held accountable, it is usually those who are paid to do the job and rarely the masterminds.
About the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ):
The Committee to Protect Journalists is an independent nonprofit organization that promotes press freedom worldwide and defends the right of journalists to report the news safely and without fear of reprisal.
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About Free Press Unlimited (FPU):
Free Press Unlimited is a non-profit press freedom organization based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands that helps local journalists in conflict areas to provide their audience with independent news and reliable information. By supporting local media professionals, Free Press Unlimited seeks to support the enabling of a sustainable, professional, and diverse media landscape.
Media contact: [email protected]
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