Doctor Tifa Charged with Defamation and Slander Over Jokowi Diploma Case

Public Prosecutor (JPU) has charged Tifauzia Tyassuma, known as Doctor Tifa, with criminal defamation and slander related to her statements regarding the authenticity of the diploma of Indonesia’s 7th President, Joko Widodo (Jokowi). During the inaugural hearing at the East Jakarta District Court on Thursday (2/7), the prosecutor initially explained that in March 2025, witness Syarif Muhammad showed Jokowi three posts on social media platform X that attacked Jokowi’s honour and reputation, essentially accusing his undergraduate degree of being fake. One of these three posts was an upload by Doctor Tifa on her X account. After viewing the three posts, Jokowi asked Syarif to collect social media posts that attacked his honour and reputation by alleging his undergraduate degree was fake. “While collecting these posts, on 14 April, the Legal Team for witness Jokowi held a press conference essentially stating that the accusations regarding witness Jokowi’s undergraduate degree were untrue and highly misleading. Witness Jokowi’s undergraduate degree exists, is genuine, and has been clearly confirmed by Gadjah Mada University and the relevant authorities. The Legal Team also reminded the public not to continue spreading accusations and false news claiming witness Jokowi’s undergraduate degree is fake,” the prosecutor stated. Subsequently, in April-May 2025, witness Syarif showed Jokowi a total of 28 posts across various social media platforms attacking his honour and reputation by alleging his degree was fake. Among these 28 social media posts, five were actions by Doctor Tifa accusing Jokowi’s diploma of being fake. The prosecutor stated that Jokowi was a student of the Faculty of Forestry at Gadjah Mada University (UGM), officially registered since 28 July 1980. During his studies, Jokowi completed all academic requirements in accordance with the 1982 Undergraduate Programme Guidebook, totalling 160 credit hours, after which Gadjah Mada University issued a Bachelor of Forestry Diploma Number: 1120 dated 5 November 1985 in the name of witness Jokowi. “As a result of the Defendant’s actions, witness Jokowi suffered immaterial loss, namely the tarnishing of his personal reputation, feeling deeply insulted and humiliated, and even leading to other parties accusing witness Jokowi of using a fake diploma to fulfil candidacy requirements for previous public offices, namely Mayor of Solo, Governor of DKI Jakarta, and the 7th President of the Republic of Indonesia,” the prosecutor said. The prosecutor stated the defendant’s actions constituted statements containing untrue accusations. Gadjah Mada University had officially confirmed that witness Jokowi is a graduate of the Faculty of Forestry in accordance with academic facts, yet the Defendant continued to accuse his undergraduate degree of being fake through social media posts and talk shows. “Regarding the defendant’s accusations against witness Jokowi, the defendant could not prove her allegations, and the accusations contradicted what the defendant knew, making the defendant’s actions an attack on witness Jokowi’s honour using information technology means,” the prosecutor stated. For her actions, Tifa was charged with a primary indictment under Article 434 paragraph 1 in conjunction with Article 441 paragraph 1 in conjunction with Article 126 paragraph 1 of the Criminal Code. The subsidiary indictment is under Article 433 paragraph 1 in conjunction with Article 441 paragraph 1 in conjunction with Article 126 paragraph 1 of the Criminal Code. Tifa was also charged with a second primary indictment under Article 434 paragraph 1 of the Criminal Code. The second subsidiary indictment is under Article 310 paragraph 1 of the Criminal Code or Article 35 in conjunction with Article 51 paragraph (1) and/or Article 32 paragraph (1) in conjunction with Article 48 paragraph (1) of Law Number 11 of 2008 concerning Information and Electronic Transactions in conjunction with Article 126 paragraph (1) of the Criminal Code or Article 32 in conjunction with Article 48 paragraph 1 of Law Number 11 of 2008 concerning Information and Electronic Transactions in conjunction with Article 126 paragraph (1) of the Criminal Code.