Lawyer recounts arrests of Roy Suryo and Dr. Tifa in defamation case
Translated from Indonesian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
At a glance
- Roy Suryo and Tifauziah Tyassuma (Dr. Tifa) were arrested on June 19, 2026, by Polda Metro Jaya investigators in separate locations.
- Their lawyer, Refly Harun, stated that Tifa was arrested an hour before her dissertation seminar and Roy Suryo was apprehended shortly after a Bandung event without signing arrest papers.
- Both are suspects in a defamation case, with eight individuals initially named, though some have since had their investigations halted.
Indonesian lawyer Refly Harun detailed the arrests of his clients, Roy Suryo and Tifauziah Tyassuma, also known as Dr. Tifa, on defamation charges. The arrests occurred on June 19, 2026, with investigators from Polda Metro Jaya apprehending them in different locations.
At 8:00 AM she was going to take the exam, at 7:00 AM she was arrested, even though she was going to a place for the exam.
Harun recounted that Dr. Tifa was arrested around 7:00 AM, just an hour before she was scheduled to defend her dissertation. He also shared that he had been with Roy Suryo until the early morning hours after an event in Bandung before receiving news of his client's arrest later that morning.
According to Harun, Suryo was apprehended without being able to properly prepare, stating his client only had time for the dawn prayer before being taken to Polda Metro Jaya. Suryo reportedly did not sign the arrest warrant, choosing to cooperate to avoid further conflict.
He said he didn't have time for anything, luckily he still had time for the dawn prayer. He hadn't showered, hadn't dressed properly, and then was forced to be taken to Polda Metro.
Harun questioned the necessity of the arrests, particularly detention, given the nature of the case, which he described as "debatable." Initially, eight individuals were named as suspects in the case. However, police have since issued orders to halt the investigation for Eggi Sudjana, Damai Hari Lubis, and Rismon Sianipar, following their meeting with President Jokowi.
This is related to something debatable, we are still debating whether what Mas Roy and doctor Tifa did was indeed defamation, was it slander?
Originally published by Tempo in Indonesian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.