Hanin Marwah, Jakarta – The People's Sovereignty Reclamation Movement (GMKR) urged the Jakarta Metro Police to release Roy Suryo and Tifauziah Tyassuma (Doctor Tifa). The police arrested them as suspects in a case of alleged defamation related to the accusation of Indonesia's former President Joko Widodo (Jokowi)'s fake diploma on Friday, June 19, 2026.
"The arrest has raised serious public perceptions about law enforcement commitment to the principles of a legal state, respect for human rights, and the guarantee of freedom of expression," said GMKR Presidium member, Marwan Batubara, in a press conference in South Jakarta, on Saturday, June 20, 2026.
GMKR believes that the police have acted arbitrarily and did not follow applicable legal procedures in arresting Roy and Tifa. According to the coalition, the law should not be used as an instrument to silence criticism and differences of opinion that function as a check on the governance of the state.
They demanded that the police immediately release Roy Suryo and Tifauziah and ensure that the entire legal process is carried out professionally, transparently, objectively, and respects the rights of citizens. GMKR also demanded that law enforcement authorities uphold independence and uphold the principle of presumption of innocence. "And avoid any actions that can be perceived as criminalization of criticism," said Marwan.
In this statement, Marwan also demanded that the court examine the alleged fake diplomas of Jokowi and Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka. "We want our friends to be released soon, and then the judicial process to prove whether Jokowi's diploma is genuine or not must take place," he said.
The Jakarta Metro Jaya investigators arrested Roy Suryo on Friday, June 19, 2026. Roy's attorney, Ahmad Khozinudin, said that the police arrested his client at home around 07:00 AM. Khozinudin regretted the arrest as he considered it coercive. He stated that Roy had always been cooperative in responding to investigators' summons and fulfilling reporting obligations.
The police also arrested Tifauziah at 06:47 AM on the same day in her apartment. One of Tifa's legal advisors in the Tifa Doctor Defense Team (TPDT), Ramdansyah, said the police arrested his client just before her doctoral examination.
Ramdansyah said he received the information directly from Tifa. Along with the message, he also received a photo showing Tifa in front of a laptop surrounded by several Jakarta Metro Police investigators.
Chief of Public Relations of the Jakarta Metro Police, Commissioner Budi Hermanto, said the police arrested the two suspects after their case files were declared complete. According to him, the arrest is a continuation of the ongoing investigation process. "The case file has been declared complete or P21 by the prosecutor's office," said Budi at the South Jakarta Jakarta Metro Police Headquarters on Friday, June 19, 2026.
Budi explained that the evidence in the case met the requirements. According to him, the investigators carried out each stage in accordance with the criminal procedural law, upholding the principle of equality before the law. "Thus, this step becomes a clear and accountable legal basis," he said.
– Annisa Febiola contributed to the writing of this article.
Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/2109589/peoples-movement-urges-police-to-free-roy-suryo-and-doctor-tif