Indonesia’s President Ruled Guilty of Neglecting Jakartans’ Right to Clean Air

Estimated read time 2 min read

An Indonesian court ruled that President Joko Widodo is guilty of neglecting people’s right to clean air in Jakarta in a rare victory for environmental activists.

Jokowi, as the president is known, along with the Jakarta governor, the minister of home affairs, the health minister and the environment minister must take strong action and establish an adequate measure to uphold the people’s right to healthy air in the capital, according to Judge Saifuddin Zuhri in his ruling at the Central Jakarta court on Thursday.

The lawsuit was lodged in 2019 by a group consisting Jakarta residents and activist groups, accusing the government of acting unlawfully by allowing air pollution in the capital to exceed healthy limits. The court on Thursday rejected allegations that the government has conducted human rights violation in the pollution case.

Indonesia ranks ninth among the world’s most polluted countries with an average score of 40.7 last year, which is considered unhealthy for people who are sensitive to pollution, according to IQAir index for air quality. Jakarta, the city of 10 million people, scored 39.6 on the index.

More Must-Reads From TIME

  • The Families of Israelis Held Hostage By Hamas Speak Out
  • ‘Our Death Is Pending.’ Stories of Loss and Grief From Gaza
  • One Year Later, Where’s the Adderall?
  • For Many, India’s Coal Damage Is Done
  • The Human Toll of Poland’s Strict Abortion Laws
  • The Ending of Killers of the Flower Moon Is Astonishing
  • The 100 Best Mystery and Thriller Books of All Time
  • Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time

Contact us at [email protected].

+ There are no comments

Add yours