Profile: Francisca Christy Rosana, investigating without being intimidated

In Indonesia, journalistic rigour and selflessness have a name: that of this reporter for the independent magazine Tempo, a leading figure in a critical press placed under constant pressure, who continues to investigate and bear witness despite the threats aimed at silencing her.

On 20 March 2025, an anonymous parcel arrived at Tempo's Jakarta office for Francisca Christy Rosana. Inside was a decomposing pig's head. A few days later, a second package was delivered, containing six decapitated rat carcasses. At the same time, the journalist's personal information was shared on social media, and members of her family received threats. The intention could not have been clearer: to silence her.

Known by the nickname "Cica," Francisca Christy Rosana is the co-creator and host of a popular investigative podcast produced by Tempo, devoted to the inner workings of power in Indonesia. She embodies a power-critical press under threat in a country where violence and pressure against journalists are frequent and generally unpunished.

Being an independent journalist in Indonesia is a struggle on two fronts - for freedom of information and women's dignity. In 2018, while covering a rally organised by an Islamist movement, Cica was surrounded by a group of men who insulted her because of her gender, her religion and Tempo's critical stance on the country's authorities. She managed to defuse the situation, but the episode reminded her of the risks of her profession.

The dispatch of the sinister parcels in March 2025 occurred while she was investigating several sensitive issues, including a legislative reform strengthening the military's power over the civilian administration - an explosive subject in a country marked by the recent memory of military dictatorship.

After receiving these menacing parcels, Francisca Christy Rosana was forced to move house for security reasons: "I was shocked and afraid. Still, I refuse to let terror force me into silence." To date, the police investigation has made no progress - a sadly common scenario in Indonesia.

Despite the risks, she continues her work with undiminished determination: "Independence means having the courage to criticise anyone without fear: presidents, authorities or companies. My mother often tells me I should stop being a journalist for my own safety," she adds with a smile. "I tell her there is no turning back. Carrying on is not just a job. It is a choice: the choice to stand firm."

By Arthur Rochereau, Advocacy Officer, RSF Asia-Pacific Bureau

This article was originally published in French in the March 2026 edition of the RSF Photo Album"100 Photos for Press Freedom."

• ASIA-PACIFIC
• Indonesia
• Actions RSF
• Violence against journalists
• News
• Reporter (Visiting reporter / War reporter)
• Press freedom
• Right to news and information
• Women
• Politics
• Society
• Threats