Hotman Paris Apologises After Outburst During Febrie Case Press Conference

High-profile lawyer Hotman Paris Hutapea has faced a wave of criticism from various quarters over his statements during a press conference. Hotman apologised after being condemned by activists, journalists, and political parties. The controversy stemmed from a press conference at the Attorney General’s Office in South Jakarta on Friday, 17 July, where Hotman emotionally lashed out, saying ‘don’t you have a brain’, ‘ask your grandfather’, ‘shut up’, and other remarks. He also invoked President Prabowo Subianto’s name while defending his client, former Junior Attorney General for Special Crimes Febrie Adriansyah. Minister of State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi urged Hotman not to involve President Prabowo’s name, stating that Febrie’s case is a legal matter. ‘Let us return this to the legal process. Do not link it to the President,’ Prasetyo said after a meeting at the Parliament Complex in Senayan. He added that legal cases must be handled according to legal mechanisms and that the examination of officials does not require the president’s permission. Gerindra Party DPP Chairman Bambang Haryadi also criticised Hotman’s statement, asserting that President Prabowo has never interfered in legal matters and is committed to fair law enforcement. The Indonesian Journalists Association (PWI) and the Press Editors Forum also condemned Hotman’s remarks, stating they demeaned the journalistic profession, which is protected by the Press Law. In response, Hotman posted a video apology to the journalist for his ‘don’t you have a brain’ comment, explaining he was emotional after being asked the same question repeatedly. He later issued a second video apology directly to President Prabowo, the Attorney General, and the National Police Chief, clarifying that his statements were purely a lawyer’s tactic to protect his client and had no political motivation.