Indonesian Police Arrest Two in Jokowi Diploma Case; Lawyers Claim Interference

Indonesian police arrested two prominent figures, Tifauziah Tyassuma, known as Dr. Tifa, and former minister Roy Suryo, on Friday morning, June 19. The arrests are related to accusations of spreading false information concerning President Joko Widodo's academic qualifications. The arrests followed an announcement by the Polda Metro Jaya on June 2 that the case files for both suspects had been declared complete by the DKI Jakarta High Prosecutor's Office.

Dr. Tifa was apprehended at her apartment around 6:47 AM, according to her legal team. Her lawyer, Azis Yanuar, confirmed the arrest with investigators. Despite being detained, Dr. Tifa reportedly participated in her doctoral dissertation defense exam online from within the Polda Metro Jaya premises, with photos shared by her legal team showing her attending the examination via laptop.

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The legal counsel for Dr. Tifa, who is part of the Team of Defenders for Dr. Tifa (TPDT), confirmed with the investigators handling Dr. Tifa's case that the police action this morning constitutes an arrest.

Roy Suryo was arrested shortly after, around 7:00 AM. His legal team strongly condemned the arrests, with lawyer Ahmad Khozinudin characterizing the actions as "uncivilized, repressive, and intimidating." Khozinudin argued that the arrests were unnecessary, as both Suryo and Dr. Tifa had been cooperative with previous police summons and reporting obligations.

The legal teams for both Dr. Tifa and Roy Suryo allege that the arrests indicate external political interference aimed at serving Jokowi's interests. They claim that instead of using civilized methods like summons, the police resorted to forceful apprehension, suggesting a disregard for due process and a potential abuse of power. The case continues to draw attention amid concerns about the application of Indonesian law.

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This arrest, in fact, confirms that there is political power intervening in the law, so that civilized methods of enforcing the law through summons are abandoned and replaced with uncivilized, repressive, and intimidating methods by carrying out arrests.