Chromebook Trial Accelerated, Nadiem Makarim's Side Requests Panel of Judges to Provide Sufficient Time

Jakarta, VIVA - Nadiem Makarim’s legal advisory team has expressed objections to the acceleration of the trial schedule in the continuation of the Chromebook case hearing held on Tuesday, 21 April 2026. The panel of judges has set only two remaining trial opportunities, on 22 and 23 April 2026, for the defendant to present all witnesses and experts. Representative of Nadiem’s legal team, Dodi S. Abdulkadir, assessed that this time is unrealistic to meet the proof requirements, while also ignoring Nadiem Makarim’s health condition. According to him, sufficient time is an important element in ensuring the quality of the proof process, the search for material truth, and the fulfilment of the defendant’s human rights. “We object to the given schedule because this acceleration limits our right to present all witnesses, especially experts, to provide optimal testimony. This is not in line with the principles of a fair trial,” he said in Jakarta on Wednesday, 21 April 2026. The legal team also highlighted the imbalance in proof opportunities between the public prosecutor and the defendant. Based on the data presented, the public prosecutor received 11 proof agendas over three months, while Nadiem’s side only obtained three trial agendas in two weeks. In terms of witnesses, the public prosecutor presented 35 people, while the defendant presented 12 people. As for the number of experts submitted by the public prosecutor, it was seven people, while the defendant’s side only one person. According to the legal advisory team, these differences have the potential to violate the defendant’s and legal counsel’s rights as regulated in procedural law, and limit the space for comprehensive defence. Another legal counsel, Ari Yusuf Amir, emphasised that balance and proof opportunities are an important part of maintaining the integrity of the judicial process. The legal advisory team hopes that every stage of the trial can proceed fairly, balanced, and credibly, and provide sufficient space for complete proof. “We request that the Panel of Judges reconsider that decision so that there is no violation of the rights of the defendant and legal counsel according to procedural law, and so that there is adequate space for all parties to present proof in full, so that the trial process can proceed upholding the principles of justice and proportionality,” said Ari.