Delpedro Marhaen applauds the courage of the panel of judges in delivering an acquittal

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The executive director of Lokataru Foundation, Delpedro Marhaen, has expressed appreciation for the courage, wisdom, and prudence of the Panel of Judges of the Central Jakarta District Court in delivering an acquittal to him and three other defendants. Delpedro, together with Muzaffar Salim, Syahdan Husein and Khariq Anhar, were acquitted in the verdict reading at PN Jakpus on Friday in relation to the alleged instigation case at the August 2025 demonstrations that ended in rioting. “We would like to thank the panel of judges who have applied human rights principles, democracy, and the freedom of expression in their decision,” Delpedro said after the hearing. He stressed that the acquittal granted to him and the other three defendants is not only theirs or that of political prisoners in Jakarta, but belongs to all political prisoners across Indonesia. Therefore, he hopes that all judges hearing similar cases in Jakarta, East Java, West Java, Central Java, and other regions can use jurisprudence or considerations that are wise and prudent. Regarding the acquittal in his case, Delpedro asked the public prosecutor not to file an appeal or cassation. “We hope there will be no further legal measures from the Prosecutor’s Office. We hope this will be the final decision and can be accepted as a ruling that preserves democracy and freedom of expression,” he said. The four defendants were acquitted after the court found they had not been proven guilty of the alleged crime. In the proceedings, the public prosecutor was deemed unable to present evidence demonstrating manipulation, fabrication, or the fabrication of facts by the defendants. Thus, the Panel of Judges ordered the public prosecutor to restore the rights of the defendants in their capacity, status, dignity, and honour. Earlier, the four defendants had been charged with two years’ imprisonment on the grounds of being believed beyond reasonable doubt to have committed the crime of inciting others in public, either verbally or in writing, to incite people to commit a crime, or to incite people to oppose the authorities with violence. In that case, Delpedro and co-defendants were accused of uploading 80 pieces of collaborative content that incited and aimed to provoke hatred towards the government between 24-29 August 2025. It is stated that the defendants uploaded electronic information on social media managed by the four defendants, which urged students to participate in rioting. The calls via social media were produced from 24-29 August 2025, with the narratives uploaded by the defendants allegedly inciting students, who were mostly underage, to join in for anarchy in front of the DPR RI, in front of the Metro Jaya Regional Police, and several other locations. One of the posts that formed the basis of the indictment was a poster reading “Legal aid for students who go to the streets” with the caption “Are you a student who joined the actions? Do not be afraid if there is intimidation or criminalisation; contact us immediately.”