The Legal Affairs Commission at the House of Representatives is drafting a bill that would require law enforcement agencies to install and operate security cameras in interrogation and detention rooms, in an effort to prevent abuse, intimidation, and violence against witnesses and suspects.
Commission Chairman Habiburokhman said on Monday that the provision is a key part of the proposed amendments to the Criminal Procedures Code (KUHAP). “One of the crucial provisions in the Criminal Procedures Code bill is the mandatory use of surveillance cameras inside interrogation rooms and detention facilities,” Habiburokhman said in Jakarta.
He noted that the commission has received numerous reports and complaints of abuse and torture during interrogations. A recent case in Palu, Central Sulawesi, involved a detainee who died after allegedly being tortured by police officers.
“The case in Palu was uncovered after investigators reviewed footage from security cameras, which confirmed acts of torture against the detainee,” he added. Under the bill, all provincial police headquarters would be required to procure and install surveillance equipment in their interrogation and detention facilities.
“These devices are now widely available at affordable costs. We will support the use of the state budget to fund their procurement,” said Habiburokhman, a lawmaker from the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra).
The proposed legislation also stipulates that while the surveillance systems will be operated and managed by the police, criminal suspects, defendants, and public prosecutors may request access to the footage through a court order for use in legal proceedings.
