Khariq Anhar Faces Six-Month Prison Demand in Electronic Information Manipulation Case

University of Riau student and admin of the ‘Aliansi Mahasiswa Menggugat’ (Students Alliance Demands), Khariq Anhar, has been sentenced to a six-month prison term in a case of alleged electronic information manipulation, commonly known as ‘timpa teks’, related to the August 2025 demonstration. Based on the legal facts of the trial, the Public Prosecutor (JPU) believes Khariq has been proven guilty of altering a post by Labour Party Chairman Said Iqbal without permission. ‘Sentencing the Defendant Khariq Anhar to imprisonment for six months,’ the prosecutor stated while reading the indictment at the Central Jakarta District Court on Monday (10/8). In their considerations, the prosecutor stated that Khariq deliberately altered and added to a media news screenshot regarding Said Iqbal’s statement. The prosecutor said Khariq performed a ‘timpa teks’ which contained false information and uploaded it to the ‘Aliansi Mahasiswa Menggugat’ social media account. ‘That the series of actions indicates an active act by the Defendant requiring the Defendant’s own will and self-awareness, so that the change to the electronic information was not a side effect of using electronic data, but rather a purpose that was indeed desired by the Defendant,’ the prosecutor said. The prosecutor stated that Khariq’s actions were carried out without permission, either from the editorial team of redaksikota.com or from Said Iqbal, but were based on his own volition. This is considered an unauthorised act that attacks the integrity of electronic information. ‘Thus, the element of intentionally and without right or unlawfully has been fulfilled and proven legally and convincingly according to law,’ the prosecutor stated. The prosecutor also considered several aggravating and mitigating circumstances in handing down the six-month prison demand. The aggravating factor was that Khariq’s actions were deemed to have caused public unrest and the demonstration resulted in damage to public facilities. Meanwhile, the mitigating factor was that Khariq had never been convicted before and was cooperative during the trial. For his actions, the prosecutor declared Khariq had violated Article 48 paragraph (1) in conjunction with Article 32 paragraph (1) of Law Number 11 of 2008 concerning Electronic Information and Transactions (UU ITE) as amended in Law 1/2024 in conjunction with Law 1/2026 concerning Criminal Adjustments. Previously, Khariq along with three colleagues, Delpedro Marhaen, Muzaffar Salim and Syahdan Husein, were acquitted in a case of alleged incitement related to the August protests last year. However, that verdict is not yet legally binding as the prosecutor has filed an appeal for cassation to the Supreme Court. The case is still under examination by the supreme judges.