In the unrest sparked by an economic crisis and anger over corruption, some protesters had turned on Chinese Indonesians, stereotyped as wealthy traders or financiers.

Hundreds of Chinese-owned homes and businesses were looted and razed as rape squads purportedly led by army thugs roamed Jakarta’s streets. A fact-finding report found at least 52 alleged cases of rape in the unrest.

Last year, in an interview with local media outlet IDN Times, Fadli said: “Was there really mass rape? Who says so? There’s no proof”.

This prompted a civil society coalition to file a lawsuit against Fadli, arguing he had “distorted historical facts and erased victims’ suffering”.

After more than seven months of proceedings, the Jakarta State Administrative Court issued a ruling in favour of the minister, declaring the plaintiffs’ claim “inadmissible”.

The court did not give reasons for its ruling, which was published online.

The plaintiffs, which include Amnesty International and former attorney general Marzuki Darusman, were ordered to pay legal fees of 233,000 rupiah (US$14).

Amnesty in a statement expressed disappointment over the ruling.

“Survivors of the May 1998 rapes are still fighting for justice, yet the state allows denial of this gross human rights violation to continue without accountability,” the group said.

The 1998 riots are widely seen as having helped precipitate the fall of dictator Suharto.

The incumbent president, Prabowo Subianto, once served under Suharto as a military commander, but was dismissed in disgrace in the aftermath of the riots, having admitted to ordering the abduction of activists.

The United States for years had refused him a visa over his rights record, but he denied any wrongdoing and was never charged