Jokowi's Gift Following Rismon Sianipar's Apology: Restorative Justice

Jakarta — Rismon Sianipar, the defendant in the case involving allegations against former President Joko Widodo’s diploma as the seventh President of the Republic of Indonesia, has come forward regarding his request for restorative justice.

He visited Widodo’s residence in Solo, Central Java, on Thursday, 12 March 2026, to deliver a personal apology.

Sianipar’s legal team is currently preparing the necessary documents required by investigators for the next steps in the proceedings.

Sianipar, accompanied by his lawyer Jahmada Girsang, visited Widodo’s residence in Solo on Thursday afternoon. Following the meeting, Jahmada explained that their visit aimed to apologise to Widodo regarding the allegations about the counterfeit diploma.

“The matter is actually quite clear now, it’s just what are the requirements for the restorative justice mechanism. There must be mutual forgiveness,” Jahmada explained to journalists at Widodo’s residence in Solo on Thursday.

He stated that their meeting with Widodo proceeded warmly as he had anticipated, with both Widodo and Sianipar laughing together during the encounter.

Sianipar said he had offered a direct apology to Widodo that day.

He acknowledged the authenticity of Widodo’s diploma and expressed that he felt hurt because his research had proven incorrect.

“Yes, I also felt hurt about my own findings because I must honestly state that my findings would be criticised, insulted, and labelled as a betrayal,” he said.

After meeting Widodo, Sianipar did not hesitate to acknowledge that the diploma of Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka’s father was genuine.

Following repeated examination, he identified elements that had previously been questioned, such as watermarks and embossed logos.

He obtained these findings based on three primary variables: translation, rotation, and illumination in digital image processing.