Amstrong Sembiring Asks Government to Consider Deponering Over Suspension of Detention for Roy Suryo and Dr Tifa

Legal expert JJ Amstrong Sembiring stated that the cases involving Roy Suryo and Dr Tifa have sparked widespread public debate. On one hand, law enforcement officials have a duty to uphold the law objectively. On the other, cases involving public figures with political dimensions often create the perception that the law is being used as a tool in political battles.

According to Amstrong, from the perspective of national interest and political reconciliation, the government could consider the instrument of deponering by the Attorney General if it is deemed to meet the requirements of public interest and social order. He explained that deponering does not declare someone innocent, but rather sets aside the case for the greater good of society and the state.

The former candidate for KPK leadership for the 2018-2023 period said that compared to a suspension of detention, deponering offers clearer certainty. “A suspension only touches on the aspect of detention, while the legal process continues and can remain a source of public polemic,” Amstrong said in a written statement on Wednesday, 24 June 2026.

He argued that as a result, the space for political debate and accusations of criminalisation or impunity remains open. Furthermore, Amstrong assessed that if the government considers the case to be causing more political uproar than benefit to the public interest, then deponering could be an option to reduce polarisation. “Such a step can also avoid the impression of a prolonged political battle that has the potential to divide society,” he said.

Nevertheless, Amstrong emphasised that the use of deponering must be carried out with extreme caution. This instrument is an extraordinary authority that must not be used solely due to political pressure or the popularity of the parties involved. “The primary consideration must still be based on public interest, legal certainty, and the community’s sense of justice,” he stated.

Therefore, according to Amstrong, the real debate is not whether Roy Suryo and Dr Tifa deserve to be detained or not, but rather whether the case indeed meets sufficiently strong public interest criteria to be set aside through deponering. “If it does not meet these requirements, then the legal process should continue according to the applicable mechanism so that the principle of equality before the law is maintained,” he concluded.