Jakarta. The Jakarta Metropolitan Police on Friday arrested former youth and sports minister Roy Suryo and social media activist Tifauzia Tyassuma as suspects in a defamation case stemming from allegations that former president Joko Widodo, widely known as Jokowi, used a forged university diploma.

The two suspects were charged under Indonesia’s Electronic Information and Transactions Law following a complaint filed by Jokowi.

Roy, who served in the administration of former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, was arrested at his home in Jakarta. Tifauzia, a physician, was detained while on her way to a doctoral examination at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Indonesia, according to their lawyers.

“The prosecutors have concluded that the cases against the two suspects are complete and meet the requirements to proceed to trial,” Jakarta Metropolitan Police spokesperson Budi Hermanto told reporters.

He stressed that the arrests were part of a lawful legal process and did not constitute a finding of guilt.

“Every suspect is protected by the presumption of innocence until a court issues a final and binding verdict,” Budi said.

Lawyers representing Roy and Tifauzia said they would seek their release, arguing that the arrests were unnecessary because both clients had cooperated with investigators and complied with reporting requirements.

“We believe these arrests do not reflect the principles of civilized law enforcement,” lawyer Petrus Selestinus said. “Our clients have been cooperative throughout the process. A summons should have been sufficient rather than coercive measures such as arrest.”

Another defense lawyer, Ahmad Khozinudin, said the legal team was preparing documents to request suspension of detention from either the police or prosecutors.

The team has also sought support from public figures and activists willing to act as guarantors in the application, he added.

Speaking from his hometown of Solo in Central Java, Jokowi said he respected the legal process and was prepared to testify in court.

“We will follow the legal process through to the trial. I will attend,” Jokowi told reporters.

He added that his original diploma, issued by Gadjah Mada University, is currently being held by Jakarta police as part of the investigation and would be presented in court as evidence.

Political opponents have long accused Jokowi of using a fake diploma to contest and win Indonesia’s 2014 and 2019 presidential elections. The allegations have persisted despite repeated statements from Gadjah Mada University affirming the authenticity of his academic credentials.

Jokowi has consistently denied the accusations. While refusing to show the diploma directly to his critics on privacy grounds, he has repeatedly stated that he is willing to present it to law enforcement authorities and the courts if legally required.

Police initially named eight suspects in the case. Three of them — Eggi Sudjana, Damai Hari Lubis, and Rismon Sianipar — were later cleared after reaching settlements. Rismon publicly acknowledged that his allegations were unfounded and issued an apology to the former president.

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