Judge Rejects Riau Student's Exception in August Demonstration Case

The panel of judges rejected the exception or objection note submitted by University of Riau student Khariq Anhar in the case concerning a post related to the demonstration that turned chaotic in August 2025. The judge ordered the prosecutor to present witnesses in the examination of the case.

“The Court rules that the opposition from the defendant’s advocates, Khariq Anhar, is not accepted,” stated the chief judge while reading the interim decision at the Jakarta Central District Court on Tuesday (7/4/2026).

The judge stated that the Jakarta Central District Court has jurisdiction to try this case. The judge ordered the prosecutor to prove the indictment in the next hearing.

“Ordering the Public Prosecutor to present the examination of case number 57/Pid.Sus/2026/PN Jkt.Pst in the name of the Defendant Khariq Anhar,” said the judge.

In this case, Khariq is charged with editing the statement of the President of the Indonesian Confederation of Trade Unions (KSPI), Said Iqbal, using the Canva application. The prosecutor assessed that Said’s originally positive call was altered by Khariq to have a negative meaning.

“After reading the witness Said Iqbal’s statement, the Defendant Khariq Anhar was disappointed and then the Defendant Khariq Anhar, without permission, altered, added to, or subtracted from the witness Said Iqbal’s statement on that digital media,” said the prosecutor while reading the indictment at the Jakarta Central District Court on Tuesday (10/2).

“In this way, at 16:58 WIB, the Defendant took a screenshot of the witness Said Iqbal’s statement on that digital media and then edited the screenshot using the Canva application by blacking out some initial words or sentences and editing (overlaying) or retyping them, thus containing information that did not match the actual facts,” added the prosecutor.

The prosecutor stated that Khariq’s actions made Said Iqbal’s statement not in accordance with the actual situation. The prosecutor assessed that the statement edited by Khariq created a provocative impression and caused negative effects in terms of security.

“Originally having a positive meaning, as the aim was only for workers protesting regarding workers’ interests, with the reason of not wanting interference from other elements, such as anarchists, students & BEM, in the hope that the protest would not expand to issues outside workers’ interests,” said the prosecutor.

“Becoming negative in meaning, as the aim was an appeal for the workers’ protest to be supported by other elements, such as anarchists, students & BEM, with the reason that the action was an action of all Indonesian people, with the hope that the protest would be carried out by all of Indonesia, not just workers, thus this appeal created a provocative impression and caused negative effects in terms of security,” added the prosecutor.

The prosecutor stated that the editing done by Khariq was intentional. The prosecutor said Khariq published Said’s edited statement to his Instagram account named @aliansimahasiswapenggugat.

“That the Defendant Khariq Anhar’s intentional act of altering, adding to, or subtracting from the witness Said Iqbal’s statement and then disseminating it on the defendant’s social media Instagram, namely the account @aliansimahasiswapenggugat, so that it can be seen or witnessed by all Instagram social media users,” said the prosecutor.

As information, Khariq Anhar was previously also charged with incitement related to the demonstration action that turned chaotic in August 2025. Khariq was charged with the alleged incitement along with three other people, namely Executive Director of Lokataru Delpedro Marhaen, admin of @gejayanmemanggil Syahdan Husein, and staff of Lokataru Foundation Muzaffar Salim.

The verdict hearing for Khariq, Delpedro, Syahdan, and Muzaffar was held on Friday (6/3/2025). Delpedro and the others were acquitted in that case.

“Ruling, stating that Defendant one Delpedro Marhaen Rismansyah, Defendant two Muzaffar Salim, Defendant three Syahdan Husein, and Defendant four Khariq Anhar as above, are not proven guilty of committing the criminal offence as charged in the Public Prosecutor’s alternative second, third, and fourth charges,” stated the chief judge Harika Nova Yeri while reading the verdict at the Jakarta Central District Court on Friday (6/3).

“Acquitting the Defendants from all Public Prosecutor’s charges,” added the judge.