Hotman Paris Responds to Police Report, Claims Insult Was Directed at Individual Not Press

High-profile lawyer Hotman Paris has responded to a police report filed against him over alleged insults to journalists, claiming his remarks were aimed at an individual rather than the press as an institution. The Indonesian Journalists Association (PWI) and the Media Independen Online (MIO) Indonesia reported Hotman to Polda Metro Jaya following a press conference on Friday, July 17, where he represented former Deputy Attorney General for Special Crimes, Febrie Adriansyah, a corruption suspect. During the heated exchange, Hotman asked a journalist, “Don’t you have a brain?” and told them to “shut up,” actions the press organisations deemed degrading. Hotman argued that the confrontation was a personal dispute, stating, “It was from person to person… I never insulted the press institution,” and insisted the incident was a doorstop interview rather than a formal press conference. Despite his defence, Hotman has issued a public apology via his Instagram account, expressing deep regret for his choice of words, while the police continue to process the reports under the new Criminal Code and the Press Law.