GRIB Jaya Responds to Alleged Raid on Writer's House in Depok

GRIB Jaya has addressed the recent incident involving the arrival of members at the home of writer Ahmad Bahar in the Cimanggis area of Depok last Sunday (17/5). The event was allegedly triggered by content created by Ahmad Bahar regarding the leader of GRIB, Hercules Rosario Marshal.

The Head of Public Relations and Publication for the GRIB Jaya Central Executive Board (DPP), Marcel Gual, stated that narratives claiming a mass siege of Ahmad Bahar’s house were exaggerated and did not reflect the facts on the ground. “The arrival of the Task Force representatives was purely persuasive, intended to seek clarification (tabayun) regarding video content that openly issued challenges, slanders, and offensive narratives intended to demean our General Chairman, Mr Hercules Rosario Marshal,” Marcel said in a statement on Monday (18/5).

Marcel explained that the presence of the GRIB Jaya Task Force was not baseless. He noted that the GRIB Jaya DPP Legal Team had completed documentation and gathered digital evidence for reporting to the police. This step was prompted by massive doxing and cyber-intimidation via numerous foreign WhatsApp numbers, which spread offensive content from Ahmad Bahar to those close to Hercules.

Marcel also condemned the manipulation of public opinion accusing the organisation of physical pressure or illegal acts such as hostage-taking. He asserted that from the arrival of the team until the coordination process, the situation was supervised by the local Community Head (Ketua RW) and accompanied by police officers to ensure compliance with the law. He noted that the initial clarification process at Ahmad Bahar’s house was peaceful and recorded on video.

However, to maintain local stability and avoid potential friction, Ahmad Bahar was requested to attend the GRIB Jaya DPP Office to rectify his narrative directly in front of Hercules. Marcel expressed regret that Ahmad Bahar chose to flee and switch off his mobile phone, instead sending his daughter to the office. He criticised the use of ‘play victim’ narratives following provocations initiated on social media.

Furthermore, Marcel stated that Hercules, as General Chairman of GRIB Jaya, has accepted an apology from Ahmad Bahar. Hercules has instructed all members across Indonesia to remain calm and avoid vigilantism, respecting the rule of law. However, the GRIB Jaya DPP reminded the public that freedom of speech does not include the right to insult, slander, or engage in doxing. The organisation confirmed that legal mechanisms through the Indonesian National Police will continue to pursue the perpetrators of the provocative content and doxing networks.

Previously, the incident at Ahmad Bahar’s house in Cimanggis was reported to the Cimanggis Police via the 110 call centre. The Head of Public Relations for the Depok Metro Police, AKP Made Budi, confirmed the incident was triggered by content that caused harm to Hercules Rosario Marshal. He noted that the matter has since been resolved through a family-style settlement. During a meeting held at the Depok Metro Police on Sunday night, both parties agreed to a peace agreement, and a joint statement was signed.