Acquittal for Delpedro and Others; Yusril: The Courts Were Independent and Government Did Not Intervene

JAKARTA — Coordinating Minister for Law, Human Rights, Immigration and Prisons Yusril Ihza Mahendra said the acquittal of the Executive Director of the Lokataru Foundation and three other defendants in the case of alleged incitement to riot in August 2025 demonstrates that the judicial process operates independently. Yusril also stressed that the government has fulfilled its commitment not to interfere with the ongoing legal proceedings.

‘The courts have demonstrated their independence, and the government has not intervened in the conduct of the trial,’ Yusril said on Friday (6 March 2026), as quoted by Antara.

Yusril went on to stress that the government respects the independence of the judiciary and is fair.

‘The government is fair and respects the independence of the courts,’ he said.

With this acquittal, the Delpedro et al. case should be considered final and closed. ‘I ask prosecutors not to theorise about there being a “pure acquittal” and an “improper acquittal” to look for reasons to file cassation, as often happens in the old KUHAP era,’ he said.

In addition to Delpedro, three other defendants were acquitted: Lokataru staff Muzaffar Salim; Gejayan Memanggil admin Syahdan Husein; and Aliansi Mahasiswa Penggugat admin Khariq Anhar.

The Central Jakarta District Court stated that the four defendants were not proven guilty of committing a crime in the case of alleged incitement during the August 2025 demonstration that ended in clashes.

Delpedro also said that the legal process had deprived them of various opportunities, from employment to education, because they were detained for about six months. They also had to bear the costs of the court proceedings.

‘We are asking Yusril Ihza Mahendra, and the state, to restore and repair our dignity, to compensate for all the losses we have suffered, including material losses,’ Delpedro said after the ruling at the Central Jakarta District Court, on Friday (6 March 2026).