Delpedro Marhaen and Colleagues Acquitted in August 2025 Demonstration Incitement Case; Judge's Reasoning

Delpedro Marhaen, Executive Director of the Lokataru Foundation, and his colleagues were acquitted of incitement in connection with the August 2025 demonstration that ended in rioting, in a ruling by the panel of judges at the Central Jakarta District Court on Friday, 6 March 2026. In addition to Delpedro, the three other defendants acquitted by the panel were Lokataru staff Muzaffar Salim, Gejayan Memanggil admin Syahdan Husein, and Aliansi Mahasiswa Penggugat admin Khariq Anhar. ‘The defendants were not found guilty of the criminal acts as charged in the second, third, and fourth alternative indictments by the public prosecutor,’ said the Presiding Judge Harika Nova Yeri. Accordingly, the panel ordered the public prosecutor to restore the rights, standing, dignity, and status of the defendants. The Presiding Judge stated in court that the public prosecutor failed to present evidence showing any attempt to manipulate, fabricate, or misrepresent facts by the defendants. In particular, the Judge noted that the social-media poster posting relating to the chronology and cause of the death of one online motorcycle taxi driver, Affan Kurniawan, was considered a response of anger and humanitarian solidarity by human rights activists to the incident, rather than an invitation to riot. ‘The post is a symbolic expression of freedom of expression in response to the incident affecting Affan Kurniawan,’ the Presiding Judge added.