11 Facts About Yasonna Laoly

Yasonna Hamonangan Laoly was born on 27 May 1953 and is the former Minister of Law and Human Rights of Indonesia, serving from 2019 to 2024.

Yasonna Laoly was a member of the North Sumatra regional legislature from 1999 to 2003 and of the People's Consultative Assembly from 2004 to 2014.

Yasonna Laoly is the first ethnic Nias to hold a cabinet position.

Yasonna Laoly is one of the leaders on the central executive board of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle.

Yasonna Laoly's father was Faogo'aro Laoly, a police officer and a native of the remote island of Nias.

Yasonna Laoly is proud of his Nias heritage, and once wore a traditional Nias war dress to an Indonesian independence parade.

Yasonna Laoly's selection was predicted, as he was considered part of the PDI-P's inner circle.

In 2017, Yasonna Laoly announced the creation of a National Harmony Council which would use non-judicial mechanisms to deal with past human rights abuses, prompting criticism this would restrict justice for victims and their families.

Yasonna Laoly was criticized for his support for revisions to the Corruption Eradication Commission Law, which was seen as undermining KPK's powers.

Yasonna Laoly was a member of the government team that drafted the Criminal Code bill, and he represented the government in parliamentary hearings on the amended KPK Law.

Yasonna Laoly has been criticized for recognizing pro-government factions in political parties riven by leadership disputes.