Haris Azhar, S.H., M.A.

Founder & Advocate

Haris Azhar is a professional advocate, human rights activist and a part time lecturer. He runs “Haris Azhar Law Office” (harisazhar.co.id) to deliver professional consultant, profit legal service, pro bono and strategic litigation. Haris runs Youtube Channel (ChannelHarisAzhar) which has 230k followers. One of his video brought him to controversy after named a senior minister who part of mining industry in Papua. Haris Azhar and Fatia Maulidiyanti (the resource person in the channel), after one years of trial sessions, found not guilty. Recently, He and few lawyers publish a book “ESG (Environtmental, Social and Governance) According to Indonesian Laws” (2024).

In 2017, He joined some senior Lawyers and Activists as co-founders of Lokataru Indonesia which dedicated for strategic litigation, research and consultant; in 2018, Haris established “hakasasi.id’ a platform on human rights digital based research and publication.

He taught human rights classes in Trisakti University and Jentera Indonesia Law School. As an Advocate and expertise on human rights, Indonesian Bar Association (PERADI) entrusted Haris to lead the Human Rights Department in the Association.

To this dates, Haris active gives talks and advice on law and human rights issues in many occasions.

His expertise and interest are Human Rights, Legal Theory, (Strategic) Litigation, Rule of Law, Transitional Justice, ASEAN, (Shrinking) Civic Space, Organization Management, Advocacy and Mobilization, Creative and Art Campaign, Fact Finding, Corporate Law, Capital Market.

Haris start his human rights and law works with KontraS (Commission for the Disappeared and Victim of Violence) a nationwide group and community of NGOs in Indonesia since 1999. He became the executive director since 2010-2016.

Along KontraS, he’d been advocating human rights issues in Indonesia and South East Asia, and defending various human rights cases/issues for more than 20 years up to now.

We must have the courage to admit mistakes, dare to express, dare to open up so that everyone can learn from it

Haris Azhar

Haris actively took role in many human rights and public interest litigation, events, campaign, writing publication in promoting and defending the human rights issues.

In Lokataru, since 2017, which he was appointed as the first Executive Director until (July) 2021, He had been active litigate the cases to defend the labor, whistleblower, indigenous people against the corporations, etc.

In future one of his goal is to writes and publish book/thesis on Indonesian human rights laws.

He holds a law degree from Trisakti University and MA in Human Rights (Theory and Practice) from Essex University. He took a Postgraduate course on Philosophy in University of Indonesia (2000-2003) and a course on Sociology from Open University (2000-2003). He joined some trainings and conferences which related to human rights, Asia human rights issues, and Indonesian law reform. In 2006, Haris awarded a fellowship on Transitional Justice in South Africa on 2006; In 2014, President Obama’ program called “Standing with Civil Society”, under the IVLP Program; In 2015, he was awarded International Future Leader Program by the French Government. Again, in 2016, He was one among 10 participants joined “the ASEAN Standing with Civil Society”.

Haris was membered of Executive Committee of Forum-ASIA (Asian Wide human rights organization) 2014-2016; Deputy Chair of INFID-Indonesia (2014-2017).

Haris awarded “The New Generation is in Action” by Jakarta Base Radio, I-Radio (2014); The Best Activist Award by I-News TV (2015); Karma Yogi Award by Anand Ashram Foundation (2019); Suardi Tasrif Award by Independent Journalist Aliance (2023).

Haris hobby are jogging, cycling, football, outreach, cappuccino, books, heavy metal music.