Lawsuit Against Soeharto's National Hero Title Continues, Tutut Named Co-Defendant

The legal process concerning the awarding of the National Hero title to Soeharto through Presidential Decree Number 116/TK/Year 2025, dated 6 November 2025, continues at the Jakarta Administrative Court, with Soeharto’s heir, Siti Hardiyanti Hastuti Rukmana (Tutut), now admitted as Co-Defendant II. The development was announced by the Civil Society Coalition Adili Soeharto (GEMAS), which stated that the court granted Tutut’s request to join the proceedings on 13 July 2026. GEMAS, comprising victims of gross human rights violations and various civil society organisations, noted that the trial has now progressed to the replication and duplication stage.

GEMAS maintains that the dispute concerns the legality of a public administrative action by the President of the Republic of Indonesia, and therefore does not relate to the private rights or inheritance of the Soeharto family. The plaintiffs argue that the family has no relevant legal interest in a case examining the validity of a state administrative decree. In the substance of their lawsuit, GEMAS contends that the conferment of the National Hero title not only contravenes legal procedures and substance but also violates the principles of legal certainty, carefulness, and propriety under the General Principles of Good Governance.

The plaintiffs argue there is a fundamental contradiction between bestowing a title implying moral integrity and existing state documents. These include findings by the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) regarding gross human rights violations and the People’s Consultative Assembly Decree No. XI/MPR/1998 on Clean and Free State Administration from Corruption, Collusion, and Nepotism (KKN), which implicate Soeharto. GEMAS asserts that the award of a hero title should be based on clean morality and recognition of victims’ suffering, not political compromise. The coalition emphasised that opposition to the title is not new, having been voiced in 2010, 2015, and 2025, and views the current lawsuit as a continuation of civil society’s efforts to ensure state honours are consistent with the rule of law, human rights, and reform mandates.