Jokowi's Camp Rejects Oath Demand in Degree Lawsuit Hearing in Solo

A continued Citizens’ Lawsuit (CLS) hearing regarding the degree of President Joko Widodo was marked by a plaintiff’s request for the defendants to take a decisive oath during the court session.

Responding to this, Jokowi’s legal team firmly rejected the plaintiff’s request that the defendants recite the decisive oath in case number 211/Pdt.G/2025/PN Skt.

Initially, the request to take the decisive oath was submitted by the plaintiff’s legal counsel, Andhika Dian Prasetyo, to the defendants during the hearing.

The presiding judges permitted the defendants to respond to the request for the decisive oath submitted by the plaintiff.

“We firmly reject this. The first reason is that a decisive oath can only be granted if there is absolutely no evidence in the case,” replied Jokowi’s legal counsel, YB Irpan, during the hearing on Tuesday (10 March).

“For this reason, we request that the plaintiff and their legal counsel carefully study the civil procedure law concerning the legal sources contained therein, specifically the Supreme Court Jurisprudence Number 575 K/Sip/1973,” he added.

Irpan further argued that both parties had attempted to submit evidence, including documentary evidence, witness testimony, and expert statements throughout the CLS proceedings. Moreover, the plaintiff has continuously claimed that Jokowi’s degree is counterfeit.

During the hearing, the plaintiff presented the Decisive Oath to the principal defendants. The request was read by one of the plaintiff’s legal counsels, Andhika Dian Prasetyo.

Andhika recited the oath to defendant 1, Jokowi, based upon his faith and pledge to Allah SWT. There were four points to the oath requested by the plaintiff.

“First, that my name is indeed Joko Widodo, the seventh former President of the Republic of Indonesia. Second, that I have indeed completed my education and obtained an engineering degree from the Faculty of Forestry at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM),” Andhika said during the hearing.

“Third, that the degree with number 1120 in the name of Joko Widodo in case number 211/Pdt.G/2025/PN Skt is a copy of the original document which is genuinely authentic and legally valid without any digital manipulation whatsoever. Fourth, that the photograph attached to the said document is genuinely my own photograph without any manipulation or forgery whatsoever,” he continued.

Meanwhile, Achmad Satibi, the judge presiding over the case, stated that he would consider the plaintiff’s request regarding the decisive oath.

“There will be no interim ruling; we will consider the request for the decisive oath at the next meeting,” Satibi said during the hearing.

The hearing will resume on Tuesday (17 March) of the following week. Satibi requested that all parties be present.

After the hearing, Irpan stated that the plaintiff’s initial request during the hearing for the judges to have Jokowi present to display his original degree was inappropriate.

Furthermore, the current request regarding the decisive oath was deemed to lack proper legal basis.

“We believe that what the plaintiff has done, starting from the legal counsel’s request for Jokowi to be presented directly to show his degree, as well as the request for Jokowi, the National Police Chief, the UGM rector, and the UGM vice rector to take the decisive oath, this is unfounded or this occurs because of the plaintiff’s and their legal counsel’s lack of knowledge regarding evidence law in civil procedure,” he added.

Meanwhile, Andhika explained after the hearing that the Decisive Oath is already regulated in the Civil Procedure Code (HIR) Articles 156 and 157. Therefore, what was done is legal, even though it received rejection from the defendants because they believe evidence has already been presented during the hearing.

“The defendants state that the Decisive Oath is submitted when there is no evidence. Please note that to this day, proof of Jokowi’s degree has never been presented; it is we who have continuously provided evidence. But from the defendants’ side, they have never shown the degree or anything else,” Andhika told the media.

He had prepared the oath contents to be recited by Jokowi as defendant 1; UGM Rector Prof. Dr. Ova Emilia as defendant 2; UGM Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Wening as defendant 3; and National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo as defendant 4.

It was explained that the request is still under consideration by the Panel of Judges and will be decided at the next week’s hearing. However, he hopes that his request will be granted by the judges.

“If he takes that oath, we will accept it during the hearing. But if he does not dare to take that oath, then automatically according to the civil procedure law, we will win,” he explained.

“If Jokowi takes the oath and shows his original degree, we lose,” said Andhika.