Apart from Delpedro, the Gejayan Memanggil admin is also acquitted

Central Jakarta District Court panel also acquitted Gejayan Memanggil admin Syahdan Husein @gejayanmemanggil, finding no evidence that he disseminated hoaxes or incited others in connection with August protests last year that ended in clashes.

The judge stated that Syahdan and the co-defendants did not prove they invited or exploited children for the purpose of the military and/or other armed groups as charged under Article 76H read with Article 15 and Article 87 of Law No. 35 of 2014 on Child Protection, in conjunction with Article 55(1) 1 of the Indonesian Penal Code (KUHP).

In addition to Syahdan, three other defendants who were acquitted were Lokataru Foundation Director Delpedro Marhaen, Lokataru Foundation staff Muzaffar Salim, and Universitas Riau student and admin of Aliansi Mahasiswa Menggugat Khariq Anhar.

‘The defendants are therefore acquitted from the Prosecution’s charges,’ said Chief Judge Harika Nova Yeri as she read the verdict at PN Jakarta Pusat, on Friday (6/3).

The ruling is not yet final or enforceable because there is a cassation mechanism that the parties may pursue.

Based on the legal facts presented in court, the Prosecutor’s Office of Central Jakarta failed to prove that the defendants’ actions fell into the category of hoaxes and incitement to cause violence or resistance against state authorities.

Not a single witness, including a child witness, testified that they were invited by the defendants directly or indirectly to participate in demonstrations and violence.

‘Rather, they were driven by a reaction to the issue of increases in the allowances for DPR members and the death of Affan Kurniawan (the online ride-hailing driver),’ the judge explained the reason the witnesses demonstrated.

The judge also referred to a post dated 27 August 2025 on Lokataru Foundation’s Instagram about opening a complaints desk and legal aid for students who intend to demonstrate but face threats.

Although the post contained the slogan ‘kita lawan bareng’ (we fight together), the judge considered this as advocacy support for students facing sanctions, not a call to physically resist the state or government.

The judge also referred to a Lokataru Memanggil Instagram post that contained the line ‘kepung kantor polisi atau hancurkan bangunan atas’ (surround the police station or destroy the buildings above). The judge deemed the line not to be incitement but a figurative expression of disappointment.

Earlier, prosecutors had demanded the panel impose a two-year prison sentence on Delpedro, Syahdan, Muzaffar, and Khariq.

That demand was brought because the prosecutors believed the defendants had been proven to electronically incite in connection with demonstrations from 25-30 August 2025 that ended in clashes, causing damage to public facilities and injuries to security personnel.