Coordinating Minister Yusril says Delpedro and colleagues' acquittal is final
Jakarta (ANTARA) – Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Yusril Ihza Mahendra has reiterated that the acquittal of Lokataru Foundation Executive Director Delpedro Marhaen and his co-defendants is final.
‘So it cannot be appealed any further because it ends here, and no further legal avenues can be pursued,’ the Coordinating Minister said in a video briefing confirmed in Jakarta on Saturday.
He explained that under Article 299 of the new Criminal Procedure Code (KUHAP), an acquittal or a discharge cannot be subject to any appeal by the public prosecutor, including filing a cassation to the Supreme Court (MA).
He noted that under the old KUHAP, this was actually already regulated, but in practice prosecutors created a theory that acquittals were divided into two types: pure acquittal and non-pure acquittal. If the acquittal is not pure, he said, then prosecutors could file a cassation. However, what is problematic, he noted, is that the criteria for whether an acquittal is pure or not has not been very clear.
‘Such practices cause a great deal of confusion in law enforcement,’ he said.
In addition to Delpedro, three other defendants were acquitted: Lokataru staff Muzaffar Salim; Gejayan Memanggil administrator Syahdan Husein; and Aliansi Mahasiswa Penggugat administrator Khariq Anhar.
The four defendants were acquitted after it was determined they were not proven guilty of committing offenses in the case of alleged incitement during the August 2025 demonstrations that ended in clashes.
In the trial, prosecutors were deemed unable to present evidence showing attempts to manipulate, fabricate, or engineer facts by the defendants.
Thus, the panel of judges ordered the public prosecutors to restore the rights of the defendants in their capacity, status, dignity and honour.
Earlier, the four defendants were charged with two years’ imprisonment after being believed beyond reasonable doubt to be guilty of an offense, namely participating in a crime in public with oral or written statements urging people to commit crimes, or inciting people to oppose the authorities with violence.
In that case, Delpedro and colleagues were charged with uploading 80 collaborative contents that were inciting and aimed at stirring hatred against the government from 24-29 August 2025.
It was stated that the defendants uploaded electronic information on social media managed by the four defendants, which invited students to participate in rioting.
The appeals on social media were produced from 24-29 August 2025, where the narratives posted by the defendants allegedly indoctrinated students, mostly underage, to participate in anarchy in front of the DPR RI, in front of Polda Metro Jaya, and at several other locations.
One of the postings that formed the basis of the indictment was a poster titled ‘Legal aid for students joining the street protests’ with the caption ‘You students who join the actions? Do not fear intimidation or criminalisation; contact us immediately.’